Step 1 In Your Initial Post Of Approximately 150 Words Ident

Step 1in Your Initial Post Of Approximately 150 Words Identify An Eth

Step 1 in your initial post of approximately 150 words, identify an ethical or legal issue or dilemma that you have encountered in your practice. Use defining ethical terms in your post (for example, fidelity, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and so on). How was the situation resolved? Did the resolution follow ethical principles?

Step 2 Read other students' posts and respond to at least two of them by Friday at 11:59 pm MT. Use one credible source to support each response post.

Paper For Above instruction

In my clinical practice as a registered nurse, I encountered an ethical dilemma involving patient confidentiality and the obligation to disclose sensitive information. The situation involved a young adult patient who disclosed suicidal thoughts during a routine mental health assessment. The patient refused to allow the healthcare team to inform family members or authorities, citing a desire for autonomy and trust. This situation challenged the ethical principle of fidelity, which emphasizes maintaining trust and confidentiality, and beneficence, which involves acting in the best interest of the patient. Conversely, there was also a concern related to nonmaleficence, as allowing the patient to remain in a potentially harmful state could cause harm. The resolution involved a careful assessment of the patient's capacity to make informed decisions, consultation with mental health specialists, and adhering to legal obligations regarding duty to warn or protect, depending on jurisdiction. Ultimately, the team prioritized the patient's safety while respecting their autonomy as much as possible, aligning with ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. This approach helped balance confidentiality with the obligation to protect the patient from harm, demonstrating ethical sensitivity and clinical judgment.

References

  • Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.
  • Fletcher, J. (2017). Ethical issues in mental health nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 31(20), 54-59.
  • American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. ANA.
  • Gauthier, A. (2008). Legal and ethical issues confronting mental health professionals. Psychiatric Times, 25(11), 38-40.
  • Johnstone, M. J. (2018). Bioethics: A Nursing Perspective. Elsevier.
  • Black, J., & Roberts, S. (2016). Ethical decision making in mental health nursing. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 23(4), 246-252.
  • Childress, J. F., & Faden, R. R. (2001). Human Dignity, Ethics, and Public Policy. Georgetown University Press.
  • Resnik, D. B. (2018). Ethical issues in clinical practice. Medical Ethics, 15(3), 123-130.
  • Palmer, S., Burns, P., & Cook, J. (2012). Ethical Practice in Mental Health Nursing: Foundations for Knowledge and Practice. Routledge.
  • Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2019). Principles of Biomedical Ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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