CLASS 13 : Professional Ethics

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Class material and assignments related to CLASS 13 will be tested in the final exam.


TOPIC
:
PRETEST on ETHICAL ISSUES

Student:
1. As a nurse one should be dedicated to the promotion of health, prevention of disease, preservation of life, and maintenance of dignity in death.
A. True B. False
2. Identifying and understanding one's own personal values and beliefs has little relevance to understanding and accepting clients.
A. True B. False
3. Nurses are committed to giving client care regardless of their value judgments or those of the client.
A. True B. False
4. A student nurse is responsible for obtaining a sound knowledge base through careful study during his or her basic nursing education program.
A. True B. False
5. The employed graduate nurse is responsible for continually expanding his or her nursing knowledge base.
A. True B. False
6. Nurses have very little occasion to deal with client behavior that deviates from their usual patterns.
A. True B. False
7. Place an X in the boxes that represent information that must be told to a client for a consent form to provide informed consent :
  1. the nature of the client's illness or injury
  2. the proposed procedure
  3. expected benefits of the procedure
  4. significant risks r/t the procedure
  5. alternatives, including non treatment
8. How young can an emancipated minor be?
years old
9. At what age can a young person living at home give consent?
years old
10. Who gets informed consent for a surgical procedure from a client?
A. Admissions B. The surgeon C. The nurse D. The client
11. When nurses sign consent forms after the client signs, what does that nurse's signature mean?
A. that this pre surgical task was done B. that the client understands the procedure C. that the client agrees to the procedure D. that the nurse saw the client sign the form

Value Clarification Exercise : Case Study

Tricounty Medical Center has had a crisis. A helicopter crashed, hitting the northeast wing of the building where the delivery room and new born nursery are located. In the midst of the explosion, fire, and confusion, five people make their way to the roof of the 4th floor wing and wait for rescue. They are Mary, who is carrying her newly delivered baby; Peter, her husband; Jake, MD, an obstetrician who delivered Peter and Mary's baby; Gloria, RN, who was on duty in the delivery room; and Morgan, a pharmaceutical salesman who was in the OB department delivering drug samples.

Mary says to the group, "I think I hear someone crying Yes, I can hear cries for help. We've got to go back down the stairs and help those people!" Dr. Jake says, "You women stay here. Peter and I will go back down and see what we can do." Peter looks first at the baby then down the smoke-filled stairs and replies, "I'm not going back down. It's too risky. The smoke is too thick. We'd never make it through and survive." Gloria the RN says, We've got to do something we can't just let people die. I'd never be able to live with myself. Those are my patients and I need to help them". Gloria runs down the stairs and disappears. Morgan says,"You're all crazy ! In a situation like this it's every man for himself !"

Now that you have read the case study, answer the following questions. Remember there are no wrong answers. Give rationale for each of your answers.

12. Which of the characters in the case study do you admire most?

Which of the characters in the case study do you admire least?

13. Was Peter selfish in not wanting to risk his life?
14. Was Morgan's behavior unethical?
15. Was Gloria's decision to return to her clients foolish ?

 


TOPIC: Teaching Health Behaviors to Media-Bombarded Clients

Log work

  1. Examples of propaganda, bombardment, antisocial messages and editorializing

Discussion

  1. Ideas to counter anti-health related media messages.

 


TOPIC: Ethical Standards or Professional Care Givers

  • Standards of care, codes of ethics
  • Role of charity in nursing
  • Self-monitoring of the profession
  • Self-assessment of the professional

Individual work

 


TOPIC: Comprehensive Final

  • Bring questions on IV Calculations, aspects of the nursing process, or other specific topics
  • Exam map