Ethics and Roles of APN
Ethics in nursing has been in existence for decades, and it describes what is considered as right, and correct and wrong, and incorrect in behavior. There are two major categories of ethical principles and thoughts which include the deontology and utilitarianism. The former claims that the end-goal and the means must be ethical and moral, and on the other hand, utilitarianism states that the end goal justifies the method regardless of whether it is moral or not (Burke, 2019). However, there are some cases in which some ethical principles conflict which then results in dilemmas. For instance, in the case of the 39-year-old male homeless client who stopped taking his medication due to the side effects, and later was arrested for hitting someone without provocation. The issue, in this case, runs within the ethical principles of nursing, for example, the autonomy which gives the patient the chance to make decisions concerning their health and conversely, the principle of beneficence which promotes doing good and the right thing for the patient (Epstein & Turner, 2015). The two are conflicting because it is the right of the client to decide whether to take medication or not and on the other hand, the nurse is expected to do what is right for the patient; hence, it becomes problematic.
As a nurse, sticking to the principle of beneficence and understanding the end consequence of the situation is crucial. From the case, the result of not taking medication was causing injury to other members of the public and arrest. This is things that could have been avoided in case the client took his medication. Besides, the nurse needs to understand that the situation is one that requires an ethical decision-making process (Epstein & Turner, 2015). For example, he/she must have a clear description of the problem and all the issues surrounding it, collect information from published evidence-based practices and ethical codes and then perform data analysis for better understanding of the case (Burke, 2019). The nurse will also be involved in the identification, exploration, and establishment of potential solutions for the dilemma and implication of each problem. Additionally, the nurse will explore all the alternative solution to address the challenge and evaluating all of them. He/she will then choose one of the best and more ethical solution from the options and then apply in addressing the problem and finally, evaluate the results of the method used to determine whether it was effective in solving the issue (Burke, 2019). It is crucial for the nurse to understand the case before intervening.
From the case, I believe that the best option of addressing the challenge is to offer patient education where possible for the client to understand the importance of drug adherence. This is due to the fact that he hit someone after failing to take his prescription. I will stick to the principle of autonomy but with significant consideration that the client is fully aware of the advantages of taking the drugs. It must also be considered that all individual must be provided with high-quality care which is fair, respectful and of dignity regardless of their status and thus, the client deserves the best (Epstein & Turner, 2015). In the case where the patient still refuses to take the medication, then the safety of the public will come first while ensuring that the principle of non-maleficence is adhered to.
References
Burke, A. (2019). Registerednursing.org. Retrieved 25 September 2019, from https://www.registerednursing.org/nclex/ethical-practice/
Epstein, B. & Turner, M., (May 31, 2015) "The Nursing Code of Ethics: Its Value, Its History" OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 20, No. 2, Manuscript 4.
