Fundamentals of Nursing Q 432
Ethical dilemmas often arise over a conflict of opinion. Once the nurse has determined that the dilemma is ethical, a critical first step in negotiating the difference of opinion would be to:
A. Consult a professional ethicist to ensure that the steps of the process occur in full.
B. Gather all relevant information regarding the clinical, social, and spiritual aspects of the dilemma.
C. List the ethical principles that inform the dilemma so that negotiations agree on the language of the discussion.
D. Ensure that the attending physician has written an order for an ethics consultation to support the ethics process.
Correct Answer: B. Gather all relevant information regarding the clinical, social, and spiritual aspects of the dilemma
Each step in the processing of an ethical dilemma resembles steps in critical thinking. The nurse begins by gathering information and moves through assessment, identification of the problem, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Option A: To address health inequity factors, nurses are encouraged to be aware of health disparities that could impair treatment outcomes. They can then refer patients to social workers, case managers, and other healthcare team members for additional services. Nurses should be mindful of the social and economic factors that affect patient and community health.
Option C: Nurses make decisions based on the information available to them in the current situation. The more relevant information they have, the more likely their decision will have a positive outcome. When a nurse’s decision leads to a negative outcome, the question becomes: What critical pieces of information were lacking at the time of the decision? Nurses must take responsibility for their decisions and strive to understand why some decisions have negative outcomes.
Option D: Even the most extensive code of ethics can’t account for all the potential dilemmas that nurses may encounter in their work. That’s the reason that one of the duties stated in the nursing code of ethics is to seek the advice and counsel of others whenever a nurse is uncertain about a medical decision’s ethical aspects.