Ethics |
Nursing Ethics TodayIn current society, the many changes in health care prompted different viewpoints in making ethical decisions and choices. Aside from the increasing workload and the health care demands of the society, nurses are faced with various ethical issues from patient conditions, family dynamics, and legal aspects of care. Some of the ethical conflicts in clinical practice today include, but are not limited to patient autonomy, the right to die, the right to implement DNR or do not resuscitate status, right to choose alternative treatment or to refuse or discontinue treatments, genetic engineering, organ transplantation, costs, and prenatal issues (Alichnie, 2012). Nurses in everyday practice become stressed in dealing with ethical issues especially family conflicts and legal matters are at stake. However, nurses continue to find resources and help the patient to obtain the best care, the optimal respect, and the best quality of life despite the disturbance involved.
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