Question

Within your role (in an aged care facility or community support worker) Explain the situations and describe how your practice was ethical.(Completed workplace activities in accordance with legal and ethical requirements in at least three (3) different situations)

Answer 1

A nurse plays a vital role in any healthcare facility. Some of the situations where they are supposed to act ethically and legally are

1. A situation where a terminally ill patient is advised for a particular treatment but patient refuses to take it and wants a palliative or hospice care instead (In these types of situation the nurse should respect the feeling and rights of the patient on the grounds of principle of autonomy and can be a legal right if appropriate written consent is taken for the same .)
2. A situation where a baby of Jehovah's witnesses is in need of a blood transfusion as life saving procedure but parents are refusing and in a state of dilemma to make decision (The nurse can explain on the grounds of principle of beneficence regarding the benefits of this procedure to parents and even can seek help from ethical committee team )
3. A community health nurse has come across a new type of communicable disease in people (in this situation the nurse has to follow the principle of veracity to the government officials and the general public by alerting the new outbreak and educate the people about preventative measures.