Patient`s Laws Essay Example for Free

Patients Laws EssayPatients should feel at ease when giving personal information to their physician or wet-nurse (Burkle Cascino, 2011). Patients may resist offering pertinent information if they feel their confidence may be betrayed. Confidentiality enkindle only be broken when it involves a gunshot wound, injuries resulting from child abuse or an infectious disease, which would range the community at risk. Such is the case presented in Nathansons article titled Betraying trust or providing good care? When is it okay to encounter confidentiality? (2000). The article addresses an ethical dilemma presented in an episode of NBCs ER. treasure Carol Hathaway promises two reluctant teenage patients who are seeking care, that anything they tell her will persist confidential, even from their parents and anyone else. Agreeable to this, the girls divulge they hand over been end upually active with multiple partners and suspect they have been undefended to a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Tests were performed on the teenager for STDs and receive Pap tests to witness any cervical abnormalities. The test results confirm, Andrea, is positive for the human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer.Promising Andrea confidentiality, Nurse Hathaway knows she must break the promise or potentially endanger herself and the community. Nurse Hathaway is faced with ethical consequences if she breaks confidentiality with her patient. Of these consequences are reluctance to undo pertinent information, feelings of betrayal, enraged parents, disrespect of staff members, job termination, demeaned hospital reputation, poor give instruction day reputation, and a non supporting bureaucratic and legal system (Burkhardt Nathaniel, 2008). Nurses are fearful of these ethical implications, which keep them from disclosing important information, which can have disastrous results (Griffith, 2008). Deontology ruff describes Nurse Hathaways ethical framework when she finds it necessary to break Andreas confidentiality. The deontology surmise is based on the concept that a person adheres to what is right and wrong in their actions and thoughts rather than the consequences (Purtilo Doherty, 2011). Since this has turn over a public issue she is compelled to fulfill her duty by courageously choosing to bring the situation extinct in the open.Her reasoning for informing Andreas parents and school would ensure the appropriate course of treatment and avoiding make headway injury for the teen and society. Even though Nathanson saysthere is no advantage in notifying the school of Andreas sexual involvement with multiple partners, Nurse Hathaway chose to do so. By doing this, Andrea attempts to take her life when she finds out the school is aware of her situation. There are several ethical close-making sits to choose from but the best would be Uustals deterrent example to handle this particular situation. Uustal proposes a nine-step method to direct one toward making an ethical decision. This model follows the care for process and also includes and explanation of values when using and ethical decision-making model. tread 1) those implicated in the dilemma are the teenage girls, their parents, the students at the school and Nurse Hathaway. Whether or not to inform the school of the sexual behaviour of the girls and of Andreas diagnosis is the ethical dilemma at hand. misuse 2) without giving particularised information about the girls, the school needs to be aware of the students sexual air with multiple partners.Step 3) the spread of HPV and the concern for the protection of the community from STDs related to promiscuous sex are the issues related to the situation. A resolution to the dilemma would to inform the school of the concern for the sexual behavior of the students. Step 5) with good intentions, Nurse Hathaway notifies the school of the girls activities but should not kept their identities unknown and only discussed h er concern for the students in general about their participation in multiple sex partners. Step 5) implementing education in the school regarding the risks, treatments and pr detailion of STDs would follow. Step 6) the main priority should have been informing the school of the promiscuity among the students rather than of the two teens in question and Andreas new found diagnosis. Step 7) Nurse Hathaway should have only discussed her concern for sex with multiple partners between the students. Step 8 and 9) if Nurse Hathaway had followed this model, education could have occurred, the school would have been protected and Andreas privacy would have been respected.This particular model allows for the analysis of various options to sensitive, ethical dilemmas. An ethics committee consists of of representatives from different fields in and outside of wellness care as well as professionals, lawyer, clergyman, etc., from the community. With different perspectives, experiences, and education al backgrounds the committee can have a well-rounded discussion and provide suggestions proposed to advocate for the rights of patients and foster mutual decisionmaking in the event of an ethical dilemma. When conflicting moral claims are presented, the ethics committee can suggest an unbiased greet to solving the ethical dilemma (Burkhardt Nathaniel, 2008). Consulting with an ethics committee would have been in Nurse Hathaways best interest before deciding to break confidentiality. Had she not divulged pertinent information about Andrea to her school, Andrea most probable would not have attempted suicide.In conclusion, as nurses we are confronted with ethical dilemmas pertaining to upholding confidentiality in our day-to-day practice. honest decisions should not be taken lightly and treated exclusively with sensitivity for our patients and the public. Making the wrong decision could cost us the trust we build with out patients and community and our job.Burkhardt, M. A., Nathan iel, A. K. (2008). Ethics issues in contemporary nursing (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY Delmar Cengage Learning. Burkle, C. M., Cascino, G. D. (2011, December). Medicine and the media Balancing the publics right to know with the privacy of the patient. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(12), 1192-1196. Ethical decision-making language Module 3 lecture. Retrieved from Grand Canyon University http//my.gcu.edu. Griffith, R. (2008). Patient confidentiality rights and duties of nurse prescribers. Nurse Prescribing, 6(2), 116-120. Purtilo, R. B., Doherty, R. B. (2011). Ethical dimensions in the health professions (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO Elsevier.