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Ethics, Who Am I? How Did I Get Here?

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Ethics, Who am I? How did I get here?
Diana Maionchi
GCU
Ethics
NURS 437V
Professor Jean Gordon
September 1, 2012

Ethics, Who am I? How did I get here?
We are born with familial genes but whom we are is greatly influenced by our physical surroundings, our parents or family, and our cultural and spiritual beliefs. I have been fortunate enough to be born in the United States, which has provided me with many riches in life to include education. This education provides me with the resources necessary to make sound clinical decisions about my nursing practice. My morality is based on guidelines that have become a natural language and behavior that has instilled how things ought to be and society has accepted. (Purtilo & Doherty, 11/2010, p. 6)
I am a practicing Catholic, which deeply influences how I respect life and how I contribute to the community in which I live. Christian values and morals are guiding principles, which help us lead our community and make it strong. As stated in the Bible, “In order for God’s word to take root, believers must do more than merely listen to it. They must act upon it.” (King James, 1:17-18) Simple guiding principles such as these lead us in life, community and our professions. When we provide care we are not only using our clinical skills we are using moral ethical thought to assist us in what is right or wrong for our patients. Has the physician really listened to what the patient is stating their desires are? We are with our patients continuously listening and adapting the care we provide.
Secondly, God has provided the gift to conceive and ending life during development prior to birth is a well-known societal controversy today. “Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the right of a person.” (Catholic Prolife Committee, n.d., p. 1) This belief creates ethical dilemmas for nursing personnel in the operating room theatre if asked to partake in abortion procedures. Today with help and assistance of ANA the ethical standards allows for nursing to step out of such ethical dilemmas.
Finally, Catholic faith believes that God has given life and no one should take this life away prior to death of natural causes. Euthanasia has been a dilemma for the medical and nursing professions throughout history. Euthanasia is very deceiving in nature because one needs to ask questions; is this about providing mercy and comfort or are we sliding down a slippery path of weighing financial and societal impact.
Values are the language that has evolved to identify intrinsic things a person, group, or society holds dear. (Purtilo & Doherty, 11/2010, p. 6) One can value physical objects such as art or music but moral values are ingrained deep in the fabric of our make up on an emotional level from when we are young. One of my passions in life as to why I am here is with sharing our cultural, familial values and morals with my children. They in turn have the potential to “pass it on” to their children helping future generations of society. Passions help motivate us.
Inspiration also plays a large role in how we motivate ourselves. I continue to be inspired by the feeling I receive when I am successful as a nurse. My morality helps keep me in check. My inner voice guides me in daily practice. By staying true and loyal to my values and morals I can feel confident in my nursing practice. The interaction, coupled with the character, knowledge, experience, and intent of the moral agent or carrier, is the crucial factor that achieves the moral good for an individual person as individual. (Edelman & Mandle, 2009, p. 121)
As a leader in my facility I am responsible that all licensed personnel are clinically sound and are ethically moral in judgment to practice safe patient care. The nurse in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems. (Creasia & Friberg, 2010, 264)
I have been practicing as a registered nurse for thirty two years and recently found myself in some very challenging ethical situations. The first dilemma has to do with the core of why I became a nurse. In taking the oath and believing in nursing’s core values such as altruism which is selfless care of others the dilemma presented itself when a nursing strike was called to vote. How do you provide such care if on strike? Why is a strike necessary? This is a dilemma between organizational ethics and core nursing ethics. Of course, one needs to consider the thought that without taking care of oneself financially how can one continue to provide care. I needed to look at who was representing my interests and what was in it for them? Once I answered this question and looked at what was on the table as issues, I reported to work. In order to make a well informed ethical decision one looks within and needs to ask hard questions. Part of making ethical decisions one needs to understand and consider all aspects to the questions involved.
The second dilemma that I experienced recently involved taking care of patients in the operating rom theatre who are having gender reassignment surgery. This was difficult, as I believe God has provided us with the gift of life. Who are we to judge what cards he has dealt us. However, when I asked myself who am I to pass judgment on what decisions others have made for their life? When one becomes a nurse and practices nursing following the ANA guidelines regarding nursing ethics the answer becomes clearer. This is explicit in the ANA’s Code of Ethics for Nurses (2001): Nurses are accountable for judgments made and actions taken in the course of nursing practice irrespective of health care organizations’ policies or providers” directives.”
As nursing has evolved over time we have become more involved at multiple levels of the care we provide. The standard of the ANA inside the Code of Ethics refers to the importance of nursing being involved in institutional ethics committees. This empowers nursing to speak up regarding ethical dilemmas which may arise on a daily basis. Nurses must bring forward difficult issues related to patient care and/or institutional constraints upon ethical practice for discussion and review. (Huber, 2009, p. 161)
Today with the changes occurring in healthcare it is evermore apparent the need for ethical decision-making. Facilities are challenged with reinventing the way we provide care and meeting the expectations needed to achieve reimbursement standards from Medicare. These changes have already begun, however, by the year 2014 institutions will be judged not only on clinical outcomes but patient satisfaction and quality measures. Magnet Status achievement helps promote the necessary interdisciplinary relationships and collaborative culture that advance nursing standards. The steps taken toward reaching this status promotes professional practice. (American Nurses Credentialing Center, 2012.)I am fortunate to be a part of a profession that continues to evolve and empower itself. As a nurse I will remain loyal to my morals as I care for our patient population. References
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2012). www.nursecredentialling.org/magnetModel.aspx
Catholic Prolife Committee. (n.d.). www.prolifedallas.org/pages/education_abortion
Creasia, J. L., & Friberg, E. E. (2010). Conceptual Foundations: The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice (5 ed.) [DX Reader Version]. doi:
Edelman, C. L., & Mandle, C. L. (2009). Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span (7 ed.) [DX Reader]. doi:
Huber, D. (2009). Leadership and Nursing Care Management (4 ed.) [DX Reader]. doi:
Purtilo, R. M., & Doherty, R. (11/2010). Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (5 ed.) [Adobe Digital Editions version]. Retrieved from

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