What is a code of ethics?
A code of ethics is a set of rules designed to foster ethical behavior within a group of professionals. In this blog, we will discuss the common nursing code of ethics challenges registered nurses face.
Ethical standards are essential in nursing, allowing nurses to become confident in caring for their patients. With the help of these ethical standards, it’s easy for nurses to make morally sound decisions for their patients to give them the best possible care.
What are the seven ethical considerations in nursing?
To guide nursing practice, there are many ethical principles, but the main challenges are:
- Respect for autonomy or self-determination.
- Beneficence (Do good)
- Nonmaleficence (Do no harm)
- Justice (Be fair)
- Fidelity (Keep promises)
- Veracity (Tell the truth)
Code of Ethics problems that nurses frequently face.
During their profession, nurses face a variety of ethical dilemmas, such as
Patient’s Confidentiality:
Patients share sensitive information about their health to their providers. According to the HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), providers must keep patients’ healthcare information private until it is required by law.
If the patients share sensitive information with the providers, they should keep it private and not share it with anybody.
Problem: Sometimes, nurses face a code of ethics problem where it is important to share sensitive information for the benefit of their patients, such as sharing the information with other healthcare providers so they can come up with the best possible treatments.
Informed Consent:
Informed consent means the patients fully know the treatment, its procedure, and the risks involved. It is an important principle of the code of ethics that the patient should know everything about the treatment so that they have the right to choose whether they want to proceed with the treatment or not.
Problem: Sometimes, patients will feel more comfortable asking nurses for information about their treatment. This becomes an ethical problem for the nurses regarding how much they should say to the patients or how much information they can share.
Patients Autonomy:
Patient autonomy means that the patients have the right to decide whether they want to proceed with the treatment. Therefore, the patient must know everything regarding their treatment, including the risks. This will help them in decision-making.
Problem: Sometimes, making decisions on DNR orders, palliative care, or life support puts the nurses and healthcare providers in an ethical dilemma. Especially when the patient’s wish is unclear or their family decision is involved. Nurses have to make sure that the patients are well-informed and have the mental ability to decide about life and treatment.
Misconduct of colleagues:
According to the nurse code of ethics, “Nurses must protect the patient, the public, and the profession from potential harm when practice appears to be impaired.” The nurses have to report if they see any incompetence among healthcare workers.
Problem: Sometimes, nurses cannot speak about their team members’ misconduct because they fear this will create problems between them. This is another example of a nursing code of ethics problem that nurses face. However, no matter the situation, the nurse must inform if they see any misconduct of their colleagues to ensure the safety of the patient and work environment.
Cultural sensitivity:
Nurses need to understand another code of ethics in healthcare: cultural sensitivity. This means the patients belong to diverse cultures and have different values, beliefs, and norms. Nurses must understand this cultural sensitivity and how these factors influence the patients’ decision-making.
Problem: Another code of ethics problem that nurses might face is when the patient refuses to take conventional medicine and prefers traditional methods for their treatment. Balancing legal standards and cultural practices can be challenging for nurses.
Advocacy:
Advocacy means protecting the patient’s rights and ensuring they are heard. One of the most important codes of ethics for nurses is advocacy. Nurses must speak up for their rights if they see any injustice with the patient.
Problem: The patient’s family might have different opinions regarding the patient’s treatment, which can be challenging for nurses who want to advocate for their patients’ well-being.
Conclusion:
Nurses need to create an ethical work environment in healthcare settings. However, nurses face numerous nursing code of ethics challenges in their work field. Nurses need to follow these ethical values and thoughtfully overcome the challenges.
