Ethics Final Paper - Evaluation Rubric And Score

Ethics Final Paper--Evaluation Rubric Possible Score Your Score

Identify the core assignment: Write a comprehensive ethical analysis related to a nursing or healthcare ethical issue. The paper should include a summary of the issue, an identification and discussion of ethical dimensions, relevance to nursing, an analysis of principles, theories, laws, and standards, and a personal reflection. The writing must be well-organized, free of errors, properly formatted in APA style, and meet specified length and scholarly reference requirements.

Paper For Above instruction

The ethical landscape of healthcare is complex and multifaceted, requiring careful examination of issues that intersect with moral principles, legal standards, and professional guidelines. This paper explores a significant ethical issue in nursing—namely, patient autonomy versus beneficence in end-of-life care. Through a thorough analysis that includes summarizing the issue, discussing its ethical dimensions, relevance to health professions, and applying ethical principles and theories, I aim to elucidate the multifaceted nature of this dilemma and reflect on my professional growth through this exploration.

Understanding the ethical issue begins with recognizing the tension between respecting patient autonomy—the right of patients to make decisions about their own healthcare—and the beneficence ethic that compels healthcare providers to act in the best interest of the patient. In the context of end-of-life care, these principles often clash, especially when a patient's wishes for discontinuing treatment contradict the healthcare team’s perceptions of what constitutes beneficence. For example, a patient with a terminal illness may choose to refuse life-sustaining treatment, asserting their right to die with dignity, yet healthcare providers may feel compelled to continue aggressive interventions, believing it is their duty to preserve life. This conflict exemplifies a quintessential ethical dilemma in nursing practice, demanding careful consideration of multiple ethical dimensions and adherence to professional standards.

The relevance of this issue to nursing is profound, as nurses are often at the forefront of patient care and communication, serving as advocates for patient rights while also ensuring adherence to standards of care. Nurses must navigate these conflicts sensitively and ethically, respecting patient autonomy while providing truthful information and support. This balance impacts the quality of care, patient satisfaction, and professional integrity, underscoring the importance of ethical competence in nursing practice.

Applying ethical principles to the issue reveals the importance of respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. Respect for autonomy supports honoring patients’ informed choices; beneficence and nonmaleficence necessitate acting in the patient’s best interest while avoiding harm. Justice involves fairness in resource allocation and respecting patient rights. Ethical theories such as deontology emphasize duty and adherence to moral rules, reinforcing the obligation to respect patient autonomy even when it conflicts with other principles. Utilitarianism, on the other hand, might prioritize the greatest good, potentially justifying continuing treatment to preserve life for the greatest number.

Legal and professional standards further guide the ethical response. Laws such as the Patient Self-Determination Act reinforce the legal right of patients to make end-of-life decisions through advance directives. Nursing standards advocate for respecting patient rights, providing information, and supporting shared decision-making. Ethical standards also emphasize compassionate communication and advocacy, enabling nurses to facilitate patient-centered care within a legal framework.

Reflecting on this issue has enriched my understanding of navigating ethical conflicts in clinical practice. It has underscored the importance of patients’ rights, interdisciplinary communication, and adherence to ethical and legal standards. I recognize the need for ongoing education and self-awareness to handle sensitive situations ethically and compassionately, ensuring that patient dignity and autonomy are respected while maintaining the integrity of the nursing profession.

References

• Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
• American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. ANA.
• Gawande, A. (2014). Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Metropolitan Books.
• Jonsen, A. R., Siegler, M., & Winslade, W. J. (2010). Clinical Ethics: A Practical Approach to Ethical Decisions in Clinical Medicine (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
• International Association of Bioethics. (2016). Ethical issues in end-of-life care. Bioethics, 30(4), 261-273.
• President’s Commission for the Study of Ethical Problems in Medicine and Biomedical and Behavioral Research. (1983). Deciding to forego life-sustaining treatment. Official Report.
• Rosenbaum, L. (2015). The ethics of withholding treatment in terminal illness. The New England Journal of Medicine, 372(3), 259-261.
• Taylor, C. (2013). Respect for autonomy: Its philosophical foundations and its relations to concepts of personhood. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics, 34(4), 243-259.
• Sulmasy, D. P. (2014). The ethics of end-of-life care. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(1), 96–97.
• World Medical Association. (2016). Declaration of Madrid on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. WMA Ethics Manual.