Before answering this forum, please view the first 20 minutes of Dr. Sandel - The Moral Side of Murder , a Harvard professor and international expert in medical ethics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY&t=17s
http://justiceharvard.org/themoralsideofmurder/
This forum focuses on the 2015 ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (View Only for Members and Non-Members). This is a "read only" document - you cannot print. Answer their question about future e-mails (yes or no) then wait. The ANA Code will open.
https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/
Read the brief "Introduction" (the page numbers are: xi-xiii) and closing remarks at the end of the document. Read your assigned group of provisions. Keep your assigned scenario in mind as you answer the forum questions.
Assigned provision: Review provisions 4 through 6 (practice boundaries). As the manager of an Emergency Department you notice several staff members are delaying pain medications. They confide the "frequent flyers" drug-seeking have made "all" pain complaints suspicious. You have concerns about their objectivity & ability to cope with stress in the work-place.
Post your answers to the following questions:
- Based on the Code of Ethics, how would you handle your assigned scenario? Discuss personal values and beliefs that influence your answer.
- Discuss why you think the ANA deemed this topic critical for inclusion in our professional code (in your own words). Clues can be found in the Code's Introduction (see page xiii) where these 3 broad categories of nursing are described.
- The ANA defines "morals" and "ethics" as separate concepts (read the Code's introduction section). Professor Sandel talks about three examples of taking one life to save many. One is a true lifeboat illustration and two are hypotheticals (transplanting organs & stopping a run-away train). Using one of Dr. Sandel's examples, illustrate how morals and ethics different, using your own words.
- How might you improve your practice of nursing related to one of the provisions you read?
Sample Solution