NSG 5000 Week 3 Discussion Ethical Dilemma

Ethical Dilemma

First comes the issue of the practice’s use of patients and their medical condition to perform what can be termed as a social experiment through the film. The Nuremberg Code gives the study participant the freedom to remove themselves from the study should they find it too physically and psychologically taxing (U.S. Department of health and human services, 2005; Washington, 2012). It is unclear whether the patients in the film can chose to no longer be included in the film’s broadcast of their personal lives. Buka (2014) illustrates ethical dilemmas relating to the freedom of the patient to choose as against the nurse’s obligation to provide medical care. This is an issue of importance in the invisible patients documentary where the nurse practitioner must reassure her patients that it is for their own good that she takes care of them even though she is not a practicing physician. Furthermore, the patients are limited in whether they can fully autonomously consent due to their vulnerable position (Washington, 2012). It raises the question of the practical benefit of the nurse practitioner’s acts and whether they can be justified under paternalism.

         Secondly, the main ethical issue encountered by rural nurses is attempting to balance their professional responsibilities with their personal beliefs and convictions (Edwards & Addae, 2015). This is the issue faced by nurse McCleod as she has an obligation to both the health care system and to persons needing medical care.

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         Thirdly is the issue of patient confidentiality for the invisible patients in the care of the Nurse Practitioner. A nurse is required to safeguard the confidentiality of all patient records that are in their possession during their employment (Buka, 2014). The movie raises a dilemma where the nurse has to balance creating awareness of the plight of invisible patients and ensuring patient confidentiality.

References

1.  Buka, P. (2014). Patients' Rights Law and Ethics for Nurses (2nd ed.). CRC Press: Boca Raton.
2. U.S. Department of health and human services (2005). The Nuremberg Code. Trials of War Criminals before the Nuremberg Military Tribunals under Control Council Law, 181-182. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from https://history.nih.gov/research/downloads/nuremberg.pdf 
3. Washington, H. (2012, Jan). “Non-Consenting Adults. The Nuremberg Code, set up to protect the human subjects of research, is being routinely ignored.” Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/new_scientist/2012/01/the_nuremberg_code_set_up_to_protect_the_human_subjects_of_research_is_being_routinely_ignored_.html