Capella FPX 4000 Assessment 3

Capella FPX 4000 Assessment 3

Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX4000 Developing a Nursing Perspective

Prof. Name

Date

Applying Ethical Principles 

Several moral principles that all medical staff must adhere to include Autonomy, Beneficence, Justice, and Non-maleficence (Varkey, 2020). These principles help guide healthcare experts with decision-making when it comes to difficult cases that they encounter with patients during their practices. Autonomy refers to respecting a patient’s rights, beneficence is to do better than harm, justice involves treating everyone fairly, and non-maleficence is not to harm (Rahmani et al., 2023). All these concepts play a major role in healthcare practice. This assessment aims to examine the moral problems healthcare experts face when personal opinions conflict with professional obligations.

Overview of the Case Study

Amelia Brooks is a dedicated and highly experienced nurse at Riverside Medical Center. She has always been known for her great devotion to the care of patients. Amelia was asked by one of her colleagues, Dr. Rebecca Martin, who is the leading obstetrician at the center, to assist in a procedure she was performing. Dr. Rebecca Martin was performing an elective abortion procedure for a patient named Sophia Turner, a 24-year-old girl (Capella University, n.d-a.).

Due to Amelia’s religious upbringing, she is strongly against having abortions. She feels that if she participates in the procedure for Sophia, it will go against everything she believes in and violate her morals. However, she does acknowledge that she still has a professional obligation to uphold. Being a healthcare professional, she must care for patients without involvement of her feelings and discrimination. Amelia was conflicted about what she should do in this situation with Sophia (Capella University,n.d-a.). Amelia Brook’s moral problem arises from contradictory principles. Her commitment to patient autonomy, which supports the right to pick an elective abortion, clatters with her personal views formed by non-maleficence and beneficence. This creates a deep internal struggle between her professional duties and moral beliefs.

Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study

The moral problems came about when nurse Amelia was asked to perform a procedure that was against her religion and beliefs. The principle of autonomy focuses on the person’s right to make their own decisions (Varkey, 2020). In this situation, Sophia Turner has chosen the option of abortion, and that is her decision. Even though it is against Amelia’s religion, she has the personal responsibility to provide secure and efficient care. Non-maleficence comes into play if Amelia denies Sophia the procedure or care or causes harm to herself by violating her conscience.

The moral issue in the case study arises from several interconnected features that contribute to Amelia’s dilemma. The struggle between Amelia’s personal opinions and her professional duties is a primary factor. Her strong religious beliefs against abortion create an internal struggle when she is asked to support Sophia Turner in the procedure. Sophia has chosen to exercise her autonomy by opting for an abortion, which directly conflicts with Amelia’s moral convictions (Sharkiya, 2023). This conflict underlines the principle of autonomy, as Sophia’s right to make decisions about her own body straight denies Amelia’s moral beliefs.

Additionally, the belief that healthcare experts provide nonjudgmental care confuses the situation, as Amelia comprehends her duty to deliver safe and effectual care regardless of her personal feelings. This creates a dilemma where her adherence to the principle of non-maleficence, avoiding harm to patients, contrasts sharply with the potential damage to herself if she feels she disrupts her ethics. Therefore, these intertwined factors of personal belief, professional duty, and ethical principles strengthen Amelia’s moral conflict, confusing her ability to steer her role in patient care (Rahmani et al., 2023)

Using the Ethical Decision-Making Model to Analyze the Case Study

The ethical decision-making model is made up of three sections: Moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior. Moral awareness deals with admitting the reality of a moral problem, which is the route to developing the need for an ethical decision (Capella University (n.d-b.). Moral awareness is affected by a person’s compassion for individual values and ethics. Moral judgment is deciding what is correct and what is incorrect. This can be affected by many different variables, such as differences and cognitive biases, which we all have based on individual antiquity and knowledge.

Both moral awareness and moral judgment lead medical staff towards moral conduct, which is taking the act to do the accurate incident (Rahmani et al., 2023)Amelia’s moral awareness was mirrored when she was asked to participate in a procedure that was completely against her religion and what she believed in. Her moral judgment was reflected when she had to decide to uphold her professional responsibilities or violate her conscience and deeply held moral convictions. Amelia’s ethical behavior is the action she proceeds with to solve the dilemma being discussed. 

The proposed solution of openly discoursing her moral uncertainties with Dr. Rebecca Martin is more effective in the construction of relationships across disciplines within her organization and the development of interprofessional collaboration. This communication forms an atmosphere of transparency and mutual respect, which is vital for active teamwork. Her expression of concern permits colleagues to comprehend her values and ethical outline, promoting a culture where everyone feels safe to voice their ethical problems (Rahmani et al., 2023)

This type of atmosphere leads to collaborative problem-solving, where team members discover alternative solutions together, safeguarding that patient care remains aligned with the varied moral views of the healthcare team. This method strengthens the status of ethical discussions in clinical practice and augments interprofessional collaboration by creating opportunities for different healthcare experts to engage in expressive dialogue, share understandings, and develop a more complete approach to patient care (Suarez et al., 2022). 

The proposed solution, though, differs sharply from remaining silent about her doubts and contributing in the process against her principles, which would be less effective for her relations within the organization and harmful to interprofessional collaboration. This internal conflict leads Amelia to experience feelings of burnout, impacting her ability to collaborate with her colleagues. Her silence creates an atmosphere where ethical concerns are ignored, diminishing the possibility of open dialogue about significant moral issues in patient care. When experts do not feel authorized to express their concerns, a lack of trust and diminished teamwork arise,  affecting the quality of care provided to patients (Suarez et al., 2022).

Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study

Effective communication methods in the case study include various important features that improve the comprehension and determination of ethical problems. Firstly, creating a collaborative setting is vital for the development of an open dialogue between Amelia and Dr. Rebecca Martin. This partnership permits a comprehensive analysis of the ethical allegations of the process, confirming that nurses are associated with their understanding of Sophia’s desires and the reputation regarding her autonomy (Mula & Estrada, 2020).

Additionally, employing reflective listening practices can help Amelia clear her concerns about contributing to the process without cooperating with her professional tasks. By stating her moods while actively attending to Dr. Martin’s view, Amelia is involved in a positive dialogue that leads to substitute solutions like connecting with another nurse who is more contented with support in the process (Mula & Estrada, 2020). Furthermore, involving Sophia in the communication procedure is vital for ensuring that her voice is heard and her likings are appreciated.

Amelia eased discussions with Sophia about her options, guaranteeing that she feels supported and authorized in her decision-making. This includes asking open queries to comprehend Sophia’s emotional state about the technique, which nurtures a sense of faith and cooperation in the healthcare association. Encouraging Sophia to direct her anxieties helps Amelia better steer her ethical problem while ordering patient-centered care. By executing these communication policies, healthcare experts create a helpful setting that compliments patient autonomy, improves collaboration, and leads to better patient outcomes (Mula & Estrada, 2020).

Capella FPX 4000 Assessment 3

The definition of roles and duties among healthcare team members assists as another active communication approach. By delineating each member’s responsibilities, Amelia lessens errors and safeguards everyone who comprehends their part during the process. This precision endorses a supportive setting where team members feel authorized to voice anxieties and cooperate on patient care (Sharkiya, 2023). Moreover, the employment of reflection sessions after serious conversations improves communication efficiency. These sessions deliver a chance for the team to assess success and recognize areas for upgrading and continuous development in their communication services and decision-making courses. Integrating these approaches allows healthcare staff to reinforce teamwork, enable ethical negotiations, and improve patient care outcomes (Sharkiya, 2023). 

Effective communication is the process of sharing information, thoughts, and emotions in a way that is clear, concise, and understood by the intended audience. In the healthcare field, honest, open communication plays an important role in a staff and patient relationship. Efficient communication approaches comprise connecting persons in decision-making, enabling individuals to talk deprived of distractions, being confident and answering the concerns of patients, adopting a plain language that the patient comprehends, and actively listening to the patient (Sharkiya, 2023). Effective communication builds a level of trust and creates a safe space. In this case, studying, listening, and being nonjudgmental will be a method of effective communication. 

Capella FPX 4000 Assessment 3

Amelia is aware that if she does not perform the procedure for Sophia with Dr. Rebecca Martin, she will be violating her professional responsibility to provide care without discrimination. She also knows that it is a part of her practice to prioritize the well-being and autonomy of her patients. Amelia must put her feelings and beliefs aside and still perform the elective abortion. If there is another nurse who can assist in the procedure safely and efficiently, that can also be an option as well. If so, she would have to express her feelings and the decisions that she makes to the obstetrician.

An ineffective communication approach in this case study is the lack of open dialogue between Amelia and Dr. Rebecca Martin about Amelia’s ethical problems closing the practice. If Amelia preferred not to voice her ethical concerns, it led to misunderstandings about her will to support the abortion. This absence of communication can increase her internal struggle and generate a painful atmosphere within the healthcare team, compromising the joint spirit vital for active patient-centered care (Mula & Estrada, 2020). Amelia exposes the trust and teamwork essential for optimal healthcare delivery by suppressing her concerns.

Resolving the Ethical Dilemma by Applying Ethical Principles

The basic moral values serve to assist and guide healthcare providers in their practices, with two being utilized in the case study: Autonomy refers to the healthcare professional respecting and understanding the patient’s rights and values, and non-maleficence refers to not harming the patient in care (Varkey, 2020). In this case study, Amelia maintains Sophia’s autonomy by respecting her decision to have the elective abortion because she chooses to, despite her feelings and beliefs against it. Non-maleficence is not to harm, and that goes for both Amelia and Sophia. Amelia can harm herself by violating her conscience and going through the procedure, or she can harm Amelia by not following the procedure. A temporary fix could be finding someone else to assist the obstetrician with the surgery, but that will not always be the case. If this becomes a continuous problem, Amelia might have to reconsider her career (Varkey, 2020). 

The method of steering the ethical problem includes careful attention to these standards. Addressing this moral problem needs considerate stability among them. Amelia can use the value of beneficence, which focuses on improving patient well-being, to lead her decision-making route. She must recognize that, despite her private disagreement with the procedure, her accountability to highlight Sophia’s welfare requires putting aside her own opinions to protect the patient from suitable care (Cheraghi et al., 2023). The code of justice is vital in undertaking the problem, as it highlights the status of justice and fairness in healthcare.

This principle declares that Sophia receives the same quality of care as any other patient, autonomous of Amelia’s individual beliefs. By committing to these ethical values, healthcare experts like Amelia can efficiently manage multifaceted states and resolve ethical struggles while maintaining their honor and moral values (Cheraghi et al., 2023). The proposed solution includes Amelia clearly discussing her moral fears with Dr. Rebecca. This tactic is fixed in the moral values of independence and non-maleficence, as it admirations Sophia’s right to make her own decisions while safeguarding Amelia’s ethics and encouraging cooperative patient care.

Conclusion 

The four elementary ethical beliefs, autonomy, beneficence, fairness, and non-maleficence, work as standards for healthcare staff in their practiceNurses must avoid imposing their emotions and opinions on the patient’s situation to prevent ethical issuesThe main objective of healthcare is to offer secure, non-discriminatory care and do no damage. Amelia must choose between what she believes or her siding with her patient decision. It was not clarified why Sophia is choosing an elective abortion, but it can be a number of reasons. A deeper investigation is needed to explore Amelia’s rights as well. The overall solution in this case study is to apply all the ethics mentioned to every situation to provide the safest and most efficient practice when working.

References

Capella University. (n.d-a). Assessment 03 – Applying ethical principles.Capella.edu. https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/nhs4000element18816/wrapper.asp

Capella University. (n.d-b). Ethical decision-making model. Capella University.edu. https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/nhs4000element18816/wrapper.asp

Cheraghi, R., Valizadeh, L., Zamanzadeh, V., Hassankhani, H., & Jafarzadeh, A. (2023). Clarification of ethical principle of the beneficence in nursing care: An integrative review. BioMed Central Nursing22(89). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01246-4

Hogenson, D. G. (2023). Protecting patients’ autonomy. Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses Journal117(3), 189–191. https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13884

https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/nhs4000element18816/wrapper.asp

Mula, J., & Estrada, J. (2020). Impact of nurse-patient relationship on quality of care and patient autonomy in decision-making. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health17(3), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17030835

Capella FPX 4000 Assessment 3

Rahmani, P., Behshid, M., Seif‐Farshad, M., Mousavi, S., & Tavani, M. F. (2023). Moral awareness and its relationship with moral sensitivity among Iranian nursing students: A basis for nursing ethics education. Nursing Open10(2), 773-780. https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fnop2.1344

Sharkiya, S. H. (2023). Quality communication can improve patient-centered health outcomes among older patients: A rapid review. BioMed Central Health Services Research23(1), 886 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09869-8

Suarez, V. D., Marya, V., Weiss, M. J., & Cox, D. (2022). Examination of ethical decision-making models across disciplines: Common elements and application to the field of behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice16(3), 657–671. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00753-1

Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice30(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119