The ANA Code of Ethics provides a standard by which nursing managers can assess ethical issues in care. However, the way ethical dilemmas are addressed can vary from situation to situation. An ethical dilemma that can arise in healthcare facilities is when nurses themselves are not sufficiently equipped to perform their duties. Nurses who notice their colleague`s lack of knowledge face an ethical dilemma as to whether to escalate the issue to their care manager. To address this ethical dilemma, caregivers can work hard to educate their nurses on the code of ethics and educate them on the code of ethics of their specific medical facility. Nursing managers can also provide regular training to their nurses on recurring issues. Every day, care managers face a flood of decisions and must maintain ethical strength to ensure the health, safety and well-being of their patients and staff. They actively work to solve ethical issues in the care they find in their workplace. U.S. News & World Report ranked Duquesne University`s MSN Online program among the top online graduate nursing programs in 2017. If you want to advance your career as a nurse, find out how Duquesne University`s Master of Science in Nursing can help you pursue your career goals and avoid ethical issues in nursing. Other examples of common ethical situations faced by nursing managers include: For nursing managers, ethical decision-making stems from the American Nurses Association`s Code of Ethics, which was developed as a guideline for nursing functions “in a manner consistent with the quality of care and ethical obligations of the profession.” Nursing managers help solve ethical issues in nursing by using their leadership skills to implement the Code of Ethics in their daily lives.

The ANA adopted its first code of ethics in 1950. Since then, it has undergone several revisions to compensate for advances and changes in research, technology, law and general challenges in care. The guidelines are divided into nine provisions covering issues such as human dignity, confidentiality, moral virtue and health care as a right. The ANA said each of the provisions covers issues important to the challenges of care in the 21st century. Ethical questions arise when decisions need to be made, the answers may not be clear, and the options may not be ideal. This could result in a decline in the quality of patient care; problematic clinical relationships; and moral distress, which is defined as knowing what to do, but not being allowed or able to do it. Nursing managers, in particular, are vulnerable to ethical nursing issues and moral distress because of their leadership and mentoring roles. Nurses and other medical staff look to care managers to make appropriate and ethical decisions.

Nurses can also benefit from surrounding themselves with experienced nurses as well as experienced nurse managers. You can count on the advice of caregivers when it comes to situations where they may not know how to deal with them. Nurses can create an educational environment where they regularly discuss ethical issues with nurses on their units. Through open dialogues on ethical issues, caregivers can learn from the mistakes of others and learn how to address ethical issues and challenges. An example of a common ethical dilemma that caregivers face is setting boundaries with patients. Nurses and care managers dedicate their careers to supporting patients in need, so it can often be difficult to set career boundaries. Patients should not rely on nurses beyond their professional abilities and should not form romantic relationships with them or give them gifts. Nursing managers can intervene in situations where ethical and professional boundaries are crossed by patients or nurses. Nurses go through many years of training and clinical training before they can become certified nurses, and yet, dealing with real ethical issues in nursing can be much more complex than solving hypothetical problems in textbooks. Nurses can learn to deal with ethical dilemmas in the workplace by gaining experience and interacting with patients over time. While caregivers have a high level of empathy, it can be beneficial for them to create professional boundaries with each of their patients early in their careers. Whenever nurses have difficulty determining whether something is ethical, they can review the ANA Code of Ethics.

Another ethical issue in nursing concerns patient privacy. Nurse managers have access to a patient`s medical records and history and cannot disclose this information ethically or lawfully to anyone other than the patient. Nurses need to keep patients` well-being in mind and understand that they need to protect their privacy and medical data. The MSN program at Duquesne University School of Nursing integrates ethical problem-solving and decision-making to help MSN graduates explore and solve ethical issues. Students in each of Duquesne University`s MSN tracks – Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner (Individual Lifelong Path), Psychiatry and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Executive Nurse Leadership and Health Care Management, Forensic and Nursing Nursing Education, and Faculty Role – learn how ethics and problem solving play different roles in nursing. Before assuming a nursing role, registered nurses (RNs) should understand the role of ethical decision-making in daily work. Through Duquesne University`s Master of Science in Nursing, students explore the fundamentals of ethical management and leadership by faculty with hands-on experience. Coursework not only covers the fundamentals of ethical education, but also delves deeper into controversial case studies, giving students the opportunity to explore alternative perspectives and develop reasoning skills. While nursing is a fast-paced job with new challenges every day, many caregivers report facing similar ethical dilemmas. A recent study found that the most common and stressful ethical situations are protecting the rights of patients, staff, advance care planning and decision-making.

The problem is exacerbated by the large number of inexperienced nurses entering the field, many of whom have never faced ethical problems in nursing. Such challenges make experienced caregivers all the more important for day-to-day health needs across the country. Loyola University Chicago, School of Law, Institute for Health Law NurseChoice, “4 Common Nursing Ethics Dilemmas, National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Ethical Problems in Care Management – A Cross-Sectional Survey to Solve Problems” Houston Chronicle, “Legal and Ethical Problems Faced by Health Professionals” Medicine and Law: World Medical Law Association Reema Harrison, Sarah Ronaldson, I. Watt, Kate Bosanquet Lippincott Solutions, Best Practices for Ethical Nursing Leadership American Nurses Association, Read the Code of Ethics for Nurses Family Nurses and Professional Liability Insurance Medical Record Information, Top 10 Most Common Ethical Issues in Nursing “The Code is particularly useful in today`s health care environment, because it reaffirms the fundamental values and commitments of the nurse. identifies the boundaries of duty and loyalty and outlines the nurse`s duties that go beyond one-on-one meetings with patients,” the ANA said in a statement.