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Personal Ethics

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Running head: “MY NURSING ETHICS”

“My Nursing Ethics”
Denise Schooley
Grand Canyon University: NRS 437V
July 10, 2012
My Nursing Ethics Personal nursing ethics can vary greatly from each individual nurse. The most important factor is that patients are receiving safe, efficient and informed care. There is a privileged relationship between a nurse and their patients. It is crucial that patients feel as though they are part of their care pathway. They must feel safe and informed continuously throughout their need for nursing care. Nurses may not always agree with the decisions that their patients may be making but a nurse’s personal, cultural or spiritual opinion should never get in the way of the care they need to provide.
Personal Philosophy Nurses have their own personal, cultural and spiritual values that can and in some situations contribute to their nursing care. A nurse may have a personal opinion on selective induction of labor and may not agree with the patient’s decision. With nurses that work in Women and Infant services they will experience these difficult situations on a regular basis. Spiritual values being either Christian, Catholic or other affiliation will play a role in the nurse’s ethics and moral beliefs. Tertwilliger, M, (2007) “Christians believe it is also the gift God gave women to save humanity”, pg. 1. Within many different religious affiliations and churches an elective terminations is not an acceptable procedure. Nurses may have their own personal struggles and beliefs but the care they provide needs to remain respectful, consistent and safe regardless of their beliefs. Nurses possess a caring and compassionate nature toward their patients. Nurses desire to make a difference in their patient’s lives through the giving of excellent patient care. A moral compass will guide most nurses, regardless of their personal ethics or beliefs, in providing the best care possible.

Values, Moral and Ethics Values, morals and ethics are beliefs and behaviors that are taught to many as a child. Children are taught to be kind, respectful and treat others, as they would like to be treated. These behaviors all sound like the etiquettes of a true and valuable nurse. Purtilo R. and Doherty R., (2010), “When Morality is mentioned, you might think of what were told to do or not do as a child”, pg. 6. Being a moral individual is described as having a character and attitude that are respectful, trusting, compassionate and honest. Nurses with strong moral beliefs are valuable assets to any team. A strong positive value system is also respected in the healthcare field. Purtilo R. and Doherty R., (2010), “Values is the language that has evolved to identify intrinsic things that a person, group or society hold dear” pg. 6. Nurses serve the public and understanding their own ethics can shape the care they provide. American Nurses Association states, “The Code of Ethics for Nurses was developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession”. Nursing ethics have certain principles for healthcare individuals to follow. Ethical dilemmas may arise in nursing practice when the views of a nurse contradict the beliefs of a patient and their families. Developing a relationship with their patients in a safe, concerned and caring relationship is the foundation of ethical nursing. The public population that nurses serve can be made up of many different cultures, religions and beliefs. Learning to care efficiently and safely with these patients a key to exceptional patient care. Personal Story The nurse drives off to work on this day that will change the her view of their nursing practice forever. Report was received regarding, an interesting and not directly understood patient, that was resting quietly in room 501. The story of this patient began many years ago with the unfortunate history of not being able to conceive a child for the past 12 years. The couple found out recently that they were expecting a baby girl and at this point the patient was 20 weeks pregnant. They were admitted to the hospital due some unfortunate news their unborn infant was diagnosed with severe anencephaly. Anencephaly is a neural tube defect where part of the brain and skull do not develop. The prognosis of this diagnosis is death after birth within a few days. With this in mind the patient was counseled by her physician and then admitted for an elective induction of labor. When the nurse was assessing the patient regarding personal feelings about her unborn infant and the plan of care. She realized the patient was not in agreement of the plan for induction. She shared with her nurse the decision was made with out full understanding of the plan. The patient’s wanted to carry her baby for the remainder of the pregnancy. Her new plan of care was respected and her wishes were honored. She carried her infant until 23 weeks when her primary nurse discovered no fetal heart tones on her daily assessment. Her infant had passed in utero at 23 weeks gestation. As the nurse provides her patient with the most delicate, ethical, and moral care regarding her personal decisions the nurse feels fulfilled and rewarded. The nurse feels she has provided the patient with delicate and personal care the patient needed in this grieving time. The patient shared with her nurse prior to discharge a grateful heart felt thank you to all the moral and ethical care she received. The patents other comment, which brought her nurse to tears, “Being a mother for 23 weeks was the greatest gift she could have ever asked for”. Conclusion In conclusion, nursing care brings along many personal, ethical, spiritual and cultural situations. How nurses handle these delicate situations will determine how the patient perceive the care provided to them. Nurse’s personal values can affect how the patient perceives that care. Regardless of the caregivers personal feelings, spiritual of cultural beliefs patients come with the belief that there is no judgment regarding their decisions. Society expect excellent, competent and safe care and it is our job to make sure that we provide that to them unconditionally.

References
American Nurses Association, (2012), Code of Ethics, as resourced by, http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/Codeof EthicsforNurses.

Purtilo, Ruth M., Regina Doherty. Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions, 5th Edition. W.B. Saunders Company, 11201.

Tertwilliger, M, (2007) From Christianity Demands Gender Equality and Respect for Life, as resourced by, http://www.christiancontraception.com.

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