Week 8 Discussion Board And Tenets Essay Due Date 08/25/2020 ✓ Solved

521 Week 8 Discussion Board And Tenets Essaydue Date 08252020

Week 8 Nine Tenets Essay Reviewing Appendix B in Butts, choose two of the Nine Tenets of the Code of Ethics for Nurses and describe how you will personally apply each tenet in the practice setting with your patients. Describe in detail the purpose of the tenet and provide examples of the tenet applied in practice. Explain why it is important to uphold the tenet in maximizing the quality of patient care and identify how it enhances your own practice as a nurse. Your paper should be 2 pages.

Include a title page and a reference page to cite your text. Adhere to APA formatting throughout and cite any outside sources you may use. Discussion Prompt #1 · Describe a clinical situation in which a registered nurse may encounter moral distress. Answer the AACN’s Four A's found on page 84 in your Butts and Rich text to further explain the situation, and the possible mitigation strategies. Discussion Prompt #2 · Describe different ways that social media use can violate ethical nursing practices. How can ethical social media use be beneficial to health care professionals and their patients?

Paper For Above Instructions

The nursing profession is guided by a comprehensive set of ethical principles designed to provide a framework for practitioners in their interactions with patients and colleagues. One crucial aspect of nursing ethics is the Code of Ethics for Nurses, which consists of nine fundamental tenets. This essay focuses on two specific tenets from the Code of Ethics, examining their purpose and application within the nursing practice, while also addressing the importance of these principles in enhancing patient care and personal nursing practices.

The first tenet chosen for this discussion is Autonomy. The principle of autonomy respects the patient’s right to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. This tenet underlines the significance of providing patients with the necessary information, allowing them to understand their health conditions and treatment options. As a nurse, I will apply this tenet by actively involving my patients in their care plans. For instance, I always ensure that I take the time to explain the implications of a diagnosis or a recommended treatment protocol to my patients comprehensively. By doing so, I empower them to participate in decisions regarding their health, thereby fostering a collaborative nurse-patient relationship.

It is crucial to uphold the principle of autonomy as it maximizes the quality of patient care. When patients feel respected and have a voice in their treatment decisions, their satisfaction and adherence to care plans significantly improve. This not only enhances clinical outcomes but also builds trust between the nurse and the patient, which is invaluable in fostering effective healthcare delivery. Upholding autonomy in practice teaches me to appreciate diverse perspectives, enhance my communication skills, and respect the unique values and preferences of my patients, thereby enhancing my overall practice as a nurse.

The second tenet selected is Beneficence, which refers to the ethical obligation to act for the benefit of the patient. This principle involves taking positive actions to promote the patient’s welfare and prevent harm. In my nursing practice, I interpret beneficence as providing care that is in the best interest of my patients, guided by up-to-date evidence-based practices. For example, if I encounter a patient suffering from chronic pain, I would work collaboratively with the physician to ensure that the patient receives appropriate pain management strategies, which may include pharmacological interventions, physical therapy, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture or meditation.

Upholding the tenet of beneficence is essential for maximizing the quality of patient care as it fosters positive health outcomes and reinforces the healing role of nurses. As a nurse, embracing beneficence compels me to continually seek ways to enhance the health and well-being of my patients, ultimately leading to successful healthcare interventions. This commitment not only cultivates a supportive environment for patients but also enriches my practice by encouraging a perpetual cycle of learning and improvement, recognizing the evolving nature of patient needs.

Moving to the first discussion prompt, moral distress frequently arises when nurses face ethical dilemmas that conflict with their professional values. A clinical situation that exemplifies this may occur when a registered nurse is aware that a patient requires immediate care but is constrained by hospital policies that prioritize cost-saving measures over patient-centered care. In such a scenario, the nurse may experience moral distress rooted in the four A's proposed by the AACN: Ask, Affirm, Assess, and Act. The first step, Ask, involves recognizing the moral dilemma. Affirm acknowledges the ethical distress, validating the feelings associated with the situation. Assess entails examining the underlying causes of distress and the available resources. Finally, Act encourages nurses to explore potential courses of action, including advocating for the patient, communicating with management, or seeking support from colleagues.

Mitigation strategies can be implemented to alleviate moral distress. Engaging in regular debriefing sessions with colleagues allows nurses to share experiences and strategies for coping with similar situations. Additionally, organizations should prioritize fostering a culture where nurses can voice their concerns regarding ethical issues without fear of reprisal, thereby promoting an environment of mutual respect and shared decision-making.

Lastly, the second discussion prompt addresses the implications of social media in nursing practices. Social media can quickly breach ethical standards if healthcare professionals share identifiable patient information, which can lead to violations of patient privacy and confidentiality guidelines. However, ethical social media use poses potential benefits as well. For instance, engaging with social media platforms responsibly allows healthcare professionals to share knowledge, research, and resources with their peer community and provide support to patients seeking health information. Furthermore, social media serves as a powerful tool for advocacy, enabling nurses to raise awareness about health issues effectively.

In conclusion, the tenets of autonomy and beneficence are foundational to nursing practice, guiding nurses toward ethical decision-making and fostering enhanced patient care. By consistently applying these principles, nurses not only uphold their professional responsibilities but also improve their practice by developing a deeper understanding of the ethical complexities they navigate.

References

• Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2019). Nursing Ethics: Across the Curriculum and Into Practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). (2020). The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.
• Fowler, M. D. (2016). Guiding Principles on the Use of Social Media in Nursing: An Invitation to Participate. Nursing Outlook, 64(4), 409-413.
• American Nurses Association (ANA). (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements.
• Powers, J. (2013). Ethical Issues in Nursing: The Principles of Bioethics. Journal of Professional Nursing, 29(1), 77-82.
• Vogels, E. A. (2021). Digital divides in post-pandemic America: Trends in internet use. Pew Research Center.
• McCoy, L., & Theis, M. (2019). Social Media and Nursing: The Future of Communication in Healthcare. Nursing Management, 50(5), 16-20.
• Ulrich, C. M., et al. (2010). Moral distress: A call to action. The American Journal of Nursing, 110(5), 62-67.
• Scott, S. D., et al. (2014). Exploring moral distress in health care professionals: A review of the literature. Nursing Ethics, 21(6), 601-619.
• Harrison, K. M., et al. (2018). The role of nurses in mitigating moral distress: Nurse-led interventions. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 50(3), 303-310.