Ethics and Melanie Essay

Submitted By Pricilla1234
Words: 2032
Pages: 9

The following report includes information outlining the scenario of a Newly Graduated Registered Nurse Melanie, and her professional misconduct in regards to her patient James. Melanie and James have some shared interests and strike up a friendship. James has recently suffered a stroke resulting in right-sided weakness. Melanie takes James in a wheelchair downstairs to the smoking area so he can have a cigarette. Melanie was seen by the Nurse Unit Manager returning with James from outside the hospital grounds and has a discussion with her about the appropriateness of her actions. After James was discharged for her ward, Melanie posted the story on the social media site Facebook. This report will look at each of four fundamental patterns of knowing in nursing and how they apply to this practically scenario. Also identified are clear key ethical issues present in this scenario, and the relevant bioethical principles in this case. Lastly the legal responsibilities and current legislation will be defined and explained. ANMC codes that justified her decision-making.

1. Ways of Knowing

There are four fundamental patterns of knowing that are functional to the nursing profession. First up we have Ethics, the component of moral knowledge in nursing (Caper,1978,pp.20-21). Ethically Melanie should not have taken James off the ward for a cigarette, Melanie should have know what was morally right and wrong in her decision, as smoking is a major cause of strokes (QuitNow,2012).

Personal Knowing, acceptance of self that is ground in self-knowledge and confidence (Caper,1978,pp.18-19). Melanie’s relationship with James allowed her decision to be influenced. As a Newly graduated Registered nurse Melanie did not have the knowledge and experience of personal knowing. Melanie is unable to act on previous experiences from which she will learn valuable skills to use in practice. In time further experiences within the professional setting will equip Melanie with the necessary knowledge of personal knowing (Caper,1978,pp18-19).

Aesthetics, the art of nursing. Melanie used her aesthetics of nursing by showing empathy in the situation when James asked her to take him for a cigarette as he has been smoking most of his adult life. Through her learning in nursing her aim is to provide a high standard of care to her patient, she should know it was morally wrong (Crisp & Taylor,2009,p.333).

Empirics, the science of nursing, is to collect, organize and analyze data that can be tested and verified from a credible source, through systematic investigation (Caper,1978,p.14). When Melanie decided to take James out to the allocated smoking area for a cigarette she should know that she is not following fundamental of knowing in regards to empirics. Melanie actions where in breach of this. Her education in nursing should have tault her this, her study and experience’s in clinical placements should of given her the necessary tools to make the right decision and be professional. When Melanie decided to put James’s story on the Internet she was breaching confidentiality. Confidentiality is defined by Mosby’s Dictionary (2013,p419) as the nondisclosure of information except to another authorized person. It is important for each and every nurse to understand the fundamental of knowing as this reflects on the care that is provided in nursing (Caper,1978,p.13).

2. Ethical issues
Ethics has been described as rules and standards of moral values. Nursing in Australia are governed by a set of standards provided by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery council to use to guild nurses and provide a framework to follow while working in a professional field (ANMC,2008,p.10). The Ethical issue for Melanie in this scenario is confidentiality, as defined in Mosby’s Dictionary (2010,p.417); confidentiality is the nondisclosure of information except to another authorized person. Confidentiality is a primary duty of health professionals. Melanie broke the key