Ethical Situations Essay.

Posted: January 12th, 2023

Ethical Situations Essay.

Have you ever made a split-second decision, but wondered after the fact, “what if I had chosen a different option?” Part of studying ethics is the ability to assess the short and long-term consequences of a decision and then choose the option that will have the more favorable outcomes. This module’s assignment gives you the opportunity to turn back the hands of time and examine a time when you wish you would have selected a different path. In a 1-2 page paper, summarize a time when you had to make an ethical decision. Explain how your different options would affect the outcome. What were some external factors that impacted your decision? If you would have been given more time to make your decision, how would this change your approach or outcome?Ethical Situations Essay.

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As a nurse, I am typically faced with ethical situations in which I am required to make decisions that have far reaching implications. One of the most memorable ethical events occurred when I was providing nursing care to elderly patients. One of my elderly patients was a war veteran who felt that the constant supervision and care nurses provided was akin to being treated as a child. He expressed his concerns and insisted on being left to go about his activities without the close supervision. On this specific occasion, I was supposed to supervise him on his daily even walk. He insisted on going for the walk without my supervision. As his nurse, I was faced with the ethical dilemma over how to balance the risk of harm from a fall with promoting patient independence.Ethical Situations Essay. On one hand, I desired to protect the patient and not expose him to unnecessary harm. He had an uneven gait, was physically weak and had been assessed as being at high risk of experiencing a fall if left to walk unsupervised. On the other hand, I desired to promote the patient’s independence as an adult. The question was which issue was more important between safety and independence. I made the decision to supervise the patient on his walk since I considered safety as being of greater importance than independence. My decision was informed by the fact that I am employed as a nurse and it is my duty and responsibility to ensure that the patient is not intentionally exposed to harm. He was at a high risk of experiencing a fall and was likely to have fallen and hurt himself if left to go on the walk unsupervised. Faced with a similar situation now, I would have made the same decision now as then. That is because the patient’s safety has priority over independence. Still, I would have taken time to explain my argument to the patient to ensure that he understood and was more accepting of my decision. This would also make the patient feel that his opinions are not ignored and that they are being considered when making decisions.Ethical Situations Essay.