Taking a Stand (Leadership) In nursing, one is bound to encounter a wide range of moral and ethical challenges. This is more so the case given that as nurses, we often have to work with various kinds of people, often during challenging moments in their lives. All these people have personal expectations and demands. Trying to balance these demands and harmonize the various needs of those we come across could be a challenge. This is more so the case given that we also have to take into consideration the interests of other stakeholders in the entire care-giving equation. In the final analysis, this means that from time to time, we encounter situations that call upon us to reconcile our nursing profession duties and obligations with our personal or individual values. It should be noted that when it comes to navigating the ethical and moral minefield, the relevance of the nursing code of ethics cannot be overstated. In addition to helping us address moral dilemmas deep within ourselves, the nursing code of ethics comes in handy in seeking to avert malpractice litigation or disciplinary issues. It is important to note that although not all moral and ethical challenges can be solved or sorted out by way of making references to the nursing code of ethics, familiarizing oneself with the same does indeed make things easier towards this end. According to Smith, Carpenter, and Fitzpatrick (2015), ethical decision making capabilities develop over time. Our hope, therefore, also lays in constant exposure to circumstances or situations that challenge us from an ethical or moral point of view. This text examines a moral dilemma encountered by the author and analyses the legal as well as ethical and moral implications the dilemma posed. The role of the author as a moral agent in the entire situation, and the...
References
Burman, M.E. & Dunphy, L.M. (2011). Reporting Colleague Misconduct in Advanced Practice Nursing. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 1(4), 26-31.
Mansbach, A., Kushnir, T., Ziedenberg, H. & Bachner, Y.G. (2014). Reporting Misconduct of a Coworker to Protect a Patient: A Comparison between Experienced Nurses and Nursing Students. The Scientific World Journal, 4(8), 84-97.
Maurits, E.M., Veer, A.J., Groenewegem, P.P. & Francke, A.L. (2016). Dealing with Professional Misconduct by Colleagues in Home Care: A Nationwide Survey among Nursing Staff. BMC Nursing, 15(9), 59-68.
Smith, M.J., Carpenter, R. & Fitzpatrick, J.J. (Eds.). (2015). Encyclopedia of Nursing Education. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
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