Healthcare ethics: principles, applications, and practice

¶ … Heal Sometimes

What personal, cultural, and spiritual values contribute to your worldview and philosophy of nursing? How do these values shape or influence your nursing practice?

The personal values that contribute to my worldview and philosophy of nursing include: the ability to empathize with patients / their families, solving the needs of stakeholders and creating a positive atmosphere for everyone. Cultural values are based upon working with people and numerous demographics. In this case, I can use these experiences to easily relate to them and understand what they stand for. The spiritual values is focusing on my abilities to help the individual feel a sense of empowerment. This is taking place using encouragement and enabling them to see how their issues is a chance to look at their lives differently. (Merry, 2012)

Each one of these areas work together, to form the basic concepts I utilize as a part of my nursing practice. This shapes the way I work with patients and my ability to connect with them on a personal level. In many ways, this is the key for being successful in the long-term by having flexibility, understanding and the capacity to reach out to stakeholders in the process. (Merry, 2012)

Define values, morals, and ethics in the context of your obligation to nursing practice. Explain how your personal values, philosophy, and worldview may conflict with your obligation to practice, creating an ethical dilemma.

Values are lasting ideas, which are shared with professional standards inside the sector to offer specific guidance in dealing with variety of issues. This has lasting impacts on the behavior and mindset embraced by individuals inside the field of medicine and society in general. Morals are principles, teachings and conduct which guide someone. In these cases, the thoughts and attitudes will impact how someone works with patients and the way they are able to troubleshoot various challenges in the long-term. Ethics are the rules of conduct inside for society, sub-segments, culture or groups. In a number of situations, this will define how someone reacts and it determines what kinds of behavior is considered to be most acceptable based upon these standards. (Merry, 2012)

The personal values, philosophy and worldview can conflict with different standards to create an ethical dilemma. This occurs from a belief to help people. Yet, in some cases, the situation may not be as clear. For instance, when a patient is experiencing some kind of terminal illness. There is a potential conflict in telling them that their condition is fatal. While at the same time, it is important to give them hope and ease suffering. In these situations, there is a realistic possibility of an ethical dilemma by wanting to reduce pain and suffering. But, ethical standards require telling them the truth about their condition. This is a direct conflict with these ideas and the influence it will have on the person over the long-term. These challenges are directly related to personal values, philosophies and the worldviews of the person. (Merry, 2012)

Reflect and share your own personal thoughts regarding the morals and ethical dilemmas you may face in the health care field. How do your personal views affect your behavior and your decision making?

The moral and ethical dilemmas will occur mainly through conflicts between personal beliefs and the proper standards of ethics inside the industry. This is because, my opinions are to reduce suffering as much as possible and offer patients the best care. The problem is that these objectives cannot be achieved all of the time. Instead, there are times when nothing can be done, even trying everything possible to help the patient. (Pera, 2005)

For example, one of my core beliefs is to help patients to live empowering lives and take control of their situations. However, there could be issues where they may suffer from some form of addition and will listen to what you have to say. Then, they will leave the healthcare setting, and engage in the same kinds of destructive behavior. This happens when working with patients who are obese, suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. As a nurse, you want them to change their lives and utilize more healthy choices (such as: eating right and exercising more). The problem is that they will not follow the prescribed program. Instead, they will continue to follow the same destructive path. This is troubling, as you want to help the patient as much as possible and have them deal with issues. Until they are ready to so, you are basically helpless in achieving these objectives. (Pera, 2005)