Ethics Discussion 2
Sample Answer for Ethics Discussion 2 Included After Question
Ethics Discussion 2
Protecting the Adolescents’ Right to Privacy
Adolescents are a critical group to deal with due to the variations in the consent age. Besides, their decision-making does not guarantee they will make the best medical decisions. Despite these factors, all minors who do not meet the majority age should be permitted to consent to their medical treatment. Doing so demonstrates respect for autonomy that all patients deserve. As healthcare providers extend this right to minors, they should ensure that they (minors) are adequately informed about the treatment and its outcomes. Minors also have a right to request their information not be shared with their parents. Besides acting in the minors’ best interest, not sharing information maximizes their right to privacy and confidentiality, which increases their trust in the healthcare system and providers (Pathak & Chou, 2019; United Nations, 2021). It should also be remembered that adherence to some medical practices, such as the use of contraceptives, and positive outcomes are best achieved when minors make some decisions independently. As a result, coding for juveniles is appropriate if parents must not know what transpired during the visit. A teen who does not want the parent to know what happened during the visit has a right to do so. However, they should be educated about parental engagement and its importance in terms of social support and health decisions.
Ethics Discussion 2 References
Pathak, P. R., & Chou, A. (2019). Confidential care for adolescents in the U.S. health care system. Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, 6(1), 46–50. https://doi.org/10.17294/2330-0698.1656
United Nations. (2021). Children ‘s right to privacy in the digital age must be improved. https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2021/07/childrens-right-privacy-digital-age-must-be-improved
Transparency versus Withholding Information in Healthcare
Patients have a right to information to enable them to make informed decisions. Like other critical areas influencing patient outcomes,
healthcare should improve with the disclosure of health information. An effective way to improve the disclosure environment is to develop privacy-protecting mechanisms that legitimize personal information usage while preserving individual rights (Kloss et al., 2018). Incidents of information disclosure challenges are widespread in healthcare. A difficult instance I have experienced involved telling a patient about the need for end-of-life care support and what it entailed. The ethical dilemma in this scenario involved being honest vs. withholding information to make patients hope for the best. The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled me to understand transparency in healthcare from an institutional dimension. As Spalluto et al. (2020) noted, pandemics increase stress and fear of the known as healthcare providers expect worst-case scenarios. As a result, leaders should increase transparency through regular, bidirectional communication. This is crucial for alleviating stress and building trust amid crises.
Ethics Discussion 2 References
Kloss, L. L., Brodnik, M. S., & Rinehart-Thompson, L. A. (2018). Access and disclosure of personal health information: a challenging privacy landscape in 2016-2018. Yearbook of Medical Informatics, 27(1), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1667071
Spalluto, L. B., Planz, V. B., Stokes, L. S., Pierce, R., Aronoff, D. M., McPheeters, M. L., & Omary, R. A. (2020). Transparency and trust during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Journal of the American College of Radiology: JACR, 17(7), 909–912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacr.2020.04.026
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A Sample Answer For the Assignment: Ethics Discussion 2
Title: Ethics Discussion 2
Ethical Issues Related to Providing Care to Difficult Patients and Families
Dealing with difficult patients and families can be depressing and can affect healthcare providers’ mental health. In regular practice, I have encountered uncooperative patients and families, individuals who do not understand nurses’ work, and those who visit healthcare facilities intoxicated. I often feel some situations could have been handled better, particularly an instance where I assumed a persistently communicating family member. To achieve a better outcome, it was important to be honest with them and set realistic expectations. This implies that the family member should understand the providers’ work and when they can be seen (Cutcheon, 2022). The nurse also needs ample time to attend to the patient and communicate when it is crucial. Difficult patients can be encountered in any department dealing with direct patient care. Burnout can increase the probability of difficult encounters since workplace stress hampers patient-provider communication (Cutcheon, 2022). Calming patients or family members requires open communication, precise boundaries, and patient involvement in the care plan. In any case, open communication is necessary when dealing with patients or family members. It makes them more cooperative hence the need to involve them as early as possible.
Ethics Discussion 2 References
Cutcheon, A. (2022). 6 tips for dealing with a patient’s difficult family members. nurse.org. https://nurse.org/articles/how-to-deal-with-difficult-patient-family/
Healthcare Provider Conscience
Healthcare providers have an ethical and professional obligation to care for patients and educate them. The right of the provider to use their conscience to deny participation in patient care denotes a conflict between professional duty and a personal moral commitment. However, a conscientious objection should never come as a surprise since healthcare providers require protection just like patients. In agreement with Berlinger (2022), the most important thing in such a situation is for the healthcare facility to maintain the care duty by referring the patient to a willing professional. The objection does not contradict the oath that providers took to care for patients. This is because the oath is more of a guiding principle than a law. As such, a referral is crucial if nurses cannot treat patients to the best of one’s ability.
Ethics Discussion 2 References
Berlinger, N. (2022). Conscience clauses, health care providers, and parents. The Hastings Center. https://www.thehastingscenter.org/briefingbook/conscience-clauses-health-care-providers-and-parents/