Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Profession Essays -- Nursing Health

Nurses are faced with ethical dilemmas on a daily basis, each situation being unique and requiring the nurse to set aside their own values and beliefs in order to properly care for their patients. Situations requiring nurses to make an ethical decision are diverse and dynamic; the values set out by the College of Nurses of Ontario code of ethics remains the same. Therefore, all decision based on these vales regardless of the setting and circumstances ensure consistent solutions. The scenario involves a woman who was admitted to the NICU due to complications during her sixth month of pregnancy. The patient indicated that no extraordinary measures should be made to save her baby; she became further detached when the baby developed a bleed that resulted in some permanent brain damage. The ethical dilemma arose when the mother decided to put the baby up for adoption, stating she did not have time to take care of a special needs child. This paper attempts to explain the ethical values imp licated in the scenario detailed below, in which the nurse cares for both mother and baby. The client was a professional, thirty-five year old woman who had been married for 10 years. She was of South Asian decent and hailed from a poor family background. After years of trying to start a family, she finally achieved her first pregnancy through in vitro fertilization. During her sixth month of pregnancy the mother started to experience complication. She was advised by the nurse and the medical team to remain on bed rest and relax. The patient confided in the nurse, that she was having trouble balancing her work life while being pregnant and became resentful when the pregnancy complication forced her into bed rest. She further confided to the nurse th... ...ent value system possessed by their clients. The nurse identified her own values in this situation and ensured that it did not impact the decision of the mother; her solution to the problem was soundly based on the CNO ethical values. The nurse worked with her team to ensure the best possible solution to the situation, one which would benefit the mother and child equally. The mother indicated her decision to not care for her baby and so the nurse aided her in choosing the best possible alternative. In the end the mother chose to put her baby up for adoption. Works Cited Ethical values . (2009). College of Nurses of Ontario , Husted, J, & Husted, G. (2008). Ethical decision making in nursing and health care. New York: Springer Publishing Company . Daniels, R. (2004). Nursing fundamental, caring and clinical decision making . NY: Thompson Learning .