Choose a patient-care situation in which the RN should intervene and advocate for the patient. An example of such a situation might be when a patient has not been given complete informed consent.
Describe the clinical situation concisely and descriptively. It can be an actual situation or a hypothetical one.
Apply the Bioethical Decision Making Model to the specific clinical ethical situation that you choose. Address each section of the model. Conclude with a discussion of nursing advocacy in the clinical setting and the nurse’s role as a patient advocate.
Full Answer Section
The next day, the patient tells the nurse that he is still unsure about whether or not to have the surgery. He says that he is worried about the risks, but he also does not want to leave the hospital without getting the treatment he needs.
Bioethical Decision Making Model
The Bioethical Decision Making Model can be used to help nurses make ethical decisions in clinical practice. The model consists of four steps:
- Identify the ethical issue. In this case, the ethical issue is whether or not the patient has given informed consent to the CABG surgery.
- Gather relevant information. The nurse should gather information about the patient's medical condition, the risks and benefits of the surgery, and the patient's values and preferences.
- Consider the ethical principles involved. The ethical principles involved in this case are autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice.
- Make a decision and take action. The nurse should make a decision about whether or not to intervene and advocate for the patient.
Autonomy
Autonomy is the right to make one's own decisions, free from coercion or undue influence. In this case, the patient has the right to decide whether or not to have the CABG surgery.
Beneficence
Beneficence is the duty to do good. In this case, the nurse should act in the patient's best interests, which means helping him to make an informed decision about the surgery.
Nonmaleficence
Nonmaleficence is the duty to avoid harm. In this case, the nurse should avoid harming the patient by ensuring that he has all of the information he needs to make an informed decision about the surgery.
Justice
Justice is the fair distribution of benefits and burdens. In this case, the nurse should ensure that the patient is treated fairly and that he has access to all of the information he needs to make an informed decision about the surgery.
Nursing Advocacy in the Clinical Setting
Nursing advocacy is the process of speaking up for and representing the needs and interests of patients. The nurse's role as a patient advocate is to ensure that patients have a voice in their healthcare and that their rights are respected.
Intervening and Advocating for the Patient
In this case, the nurse should intervene and advocate for the patient by:
- Educating the patient about the risks and benefits of the surgery. The nurse should explain the surgery in detail and answer any questions that the patient has.
- Encouraging the patient to ask questions. The nurse should let the patient know that it is important for him to understand the surgery before making a decision.
- Assessing the patient's understanding of the surgery. The nurse should ask the patient to explain the risks and benefits of the surgery in his own words.
- Helping the patient to make an informed decision. The nurse should help the patient to weigh the risks and benefits of the surgery and to make a decision that is right for him.
Conclusion
Nurses play an important role in advocating for patients. By intervening and advocating for the patient in this case, the nurse can help him to make an informed decision about the CABG surgery.
Sample Answer
Clinical Situation
A 65-year-old male patient is admitted to the hospital with acute heart failure. He has a history of coronary artery disease and has had a previous myocardial infarction. The patient is also diabetic and has hypertension.
The patient's cardiologist recommends that he undergo a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The patient is hesitant to agree to the surgery, but the cardiologist assures him that it is the best course of treatment.
The cardiologist does not explain the risks and benefits of the surgery in detail, and the patient does not ask any questions. The cardiologist then obtains the patient's signature on the surgical consent form.