Question

Linking the exemplar of ethical dilemmas with the concept of legal issues. You are working as a registered nurse on a medical-surgical floor after graduation. You love your job and your co-workers. You have grown close with your colleagues, and regularly attend get togethers outside of work. As you have particularly became close with nurse X, who has been your mentor on the unit. One day while at work, you walk into the break room and see nurse X attempting to take syringes out of a sharps container. When you ask what they are doing, nurse X replies “I have had some terrible back pain, I don’t want to see my doctor because I just don’t have the time. Please keep this between you and me. I know that I can trust you”.

1.

What do you do with what you have just witnessed? What ethical situations are presented before you?

2. If you choose to report your colleague; what will be the cost to you in doing so?

3. Is there any patient care issues within this scenario?

Answer 1

1. Answer: If I have just witnessed someone taking out a needle form the sharps container, then I will inform to the in-charge of the ward and infection control team or higher authority. Taking out of needle from the sharps container is not recommended. She is trying to reuse it which is not acceptable. This is a kind of malpractice ethical issue. It is malpractice because she is a nurse, she will not reuse the needle from the sharps container for herself. I know that she is planning to use it for others.

2. Answer: There will be no cost if I report your colleague to the higher authority. But this shows that I am responsible, humble, and honesty in my work. This will prevent further malpractice by the person by reusing the syringe needle.

3. Answer: In this scenario, there is an issue with patient care. Whatever the person given care before is a doubt that she has reuse any needle before. This have a chance to transmit any kind of disease from one person to another person if she has done the malpractice before. There is a need to do an investigation.