A dilemma refers to a situation where an individual is unable to choose between two
choices with unsatisfactory alternatives. Clinical dilemmas are conflicts to the human health
condition and life itself (Kohrt, 2017). There are types of clinical dilemmas which include;
treatment dilemma, nurse dilemma, patient dilemma and ethical dilemmas. Moreover,
individuals suffering from a clinical dilemma, maybe having symptoms that they are not sure if
they are sick or not. Such symptoms include chronic anxiety, chronic depression, persistence
headaches, fatigue and chronic bronchitis. Clinical dilemmas have impacts on both the nurses'
patients. The consequences include wrong decision making, inadequate medication, poor
diagnosis and miscommunication between nurses and patients. This paper will address the
application of ethical decision making in healthcare delivery.
However, an ethical dilemma is a conflict between two or more ethnical solutions in
which they could all be used in the decision making and provide the right answer. While working
with patients, nurses need nursing ethics which will help them make the right decision. Besides,
being a nurse, ethical dilemmas are issues that one has to deal with hand in hand. Caring for
patients in the patients' unit can be a handful because the patient unit extends to the point of
including the extended family. Ethical dilemmas are issues that generally do not have the right
answer, the wrong answer, and at times, there are no resolutions of the matter (Mishra, 2016).
Moreover, nursing is responsible for promoting and providing quality services to patients and
saving lives by giving them the right medication. Usually, nurses have ethical dilemmas while
servicing patients. The common ethical dilemmas include; lying to patients, disclosing medical
information, boundaries of ethical problems, incompetence among the young adults and proper
and genuine utilization of resources.
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Typically, some of a patient's family members instruct and demand the medical providers not b
tell the patient the illness that they are suffering from. The restriction and demand made are so
tempting to the nurses and the institution. If nurses tell the patients the sickness, this would be
wrong to the family. By giving the right information to the patients, it affects the working
relationship of the family, patients and the medical providers (Farazmand, 2019). This leads to
lack of trust and the family can end up suing the nurse and the institution. Therefore, nurses need
to follow orders and wishes from the patient's wishes family.
Moreover, disclosing medical conditions, this is an ethical dilemma because It makes the
medical providers deceptive to the patients. It is important not to disclose any information to
patients when they are not allowed to. This strengthens the ability of the nurses to maintain
ethical principles. Therefore, nurses need to understand the importance of following and
committing to nursing ethics that will help to be more professional in moral dilemmas. Nurses
need to maintain and create an ethical working environment. Adequate working environment
enhances excellent performance. This is because the foundations of relationships amongst the
nurses and other employees and the patients will be great. Moreover, ethical principles allow
patients to be confident when giving their personal information to nurses.
Usually, proper and effective methods of using medical resources are essential. Medical
providers are expected to distribute and utilize the medical resources equally to all patients.
Right treatment should be administered to all patients, and all patients should receive respect and
quality services (Nelson, 2017). When patients are given the proper treatment and respect, they
develop confidence with the caregivers and recovery becomes more practical to them. Therefore,
nurses need to distribute and utilize medical resources equally to ensure that right and adequate
treatment have been delivered. Moreover, the ethical dilemma affecting nurses in health care
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institutions is when a nurse wants to report about inappropriate behaviours from young adults.
The nurse feels that the problem should be addressed because it affects the safety of the patients'
health while on the other side, the nurse hesitates to report the matter because it might lead to
worsening inadequate staffing.
However, the consequences of having nursing ethics in medical institutions include, the
nurses can understand their responsibilities. This allows them to perform their duties efficiently
and effectively. Also, by being aware of their work, they can raise questions about ethical
concerns which might interfere with their career. Moreover, nursing ethics allows both medical
providers and patients to be more aware of the moral culture. This helps in ensuring peace and
respect amongst employees and employers and the patients. Nursing ethics ensures that the right
behaviours are practised in the healthcare institution. Besides, nurses are expected to provide
patients with the proper treatment and offer the best quality of services. Ethics allows the
institution management to hold relevant and compelling discussions that lead to the development
of the institution. Therefore, nursing ethics in health cares is essential because it leads to high-
quality services and construction.
Typically, when choosing ethical choices for nurses, it is essential to select nursing styles
that will benefit everyone in the healthcare institution. The following factors should direct the
choice of ethics in nursing. They include compassion and respect which develops professional
relationships, commitment to the patients, protection of the patients' health, rights and safety, the
responsibility to serve others and for personal growth and maintain the integrity of the nursing
professional (Farazmand, 2019). Moreover, these rules allow the nurses to create excellent
ethical regulations that will facilitate in ensuring good quality of services and development of the
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institution is achieved. Therefore, it is vital to have practical factors that assist health cares in
choosing the best nursing ethical.
Moreover, nursing ethical dilemmas ensure that nurses perform their best in their roles.
This allows patients' needs to be met through good and quality services. Also, nursing ethics
allows respect and professionalism in the institution are achieved. Everyone in the health care
institution follows the rules and helps in creating a pleasant working environment. Besides,
nursing ethics helps nurses to achieve their personal goals and those of the institution.
However, Mrs Jody Smith is wholly paralyzed due to the surgery that she underwent for
an artificial hip replacement. She is tired of the physical and occupational therapies, and this
creates a dilemma between her family and the medical providers (Nelson, 2017). Both the
doctors and the family are very optimistic that she will get well soon. For Mrs Smith to recover
quickly, she should go on with her therapies at the rehabilitation centres. Also, she should
perform her simple tasks which will help in her movement and recovery. Medical providers
should continue encouraging that she will be well and administer the right treatment to her. Both
family and doctors should not tell Mrs Smith of how bad her condition is, but they should
encourage her to go on with her medications.
In conclusion, clinical dilemmas give false realities to the patients. This is because they
are always conflicting with the body. Nurses face an ethical dilemma when dealing with their
patients. Moreover, nursing ethics helps the nurses to provide quality services and the right
treatment to patients. Besides, nursing ethics allow employees and employers to create a pleasant
and friendly working condition. With nursing ethics, healthcare institutions can accomplish their
objectives.
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Knowledge, attitude and practise of healthcare ethics among resident doctors and ward
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Westling, C. R., Walsh, T., & Nelson, W. A. (2017). Perceived ethics dilemmas among pioneer
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