Nursing profession directly presupposes the interaction with individuals. Not surprisingly, nurses encounter plenty of ethical dilemmas as a part of their professional activities. In some cases, it may be a confusing task to reach properly to the emerged ethical issue, preserving legal implications and moral obligations at the same time. It is important to remember that ethical dilemmas have no universally right solutions. Their consequences depend on every single situation. In any case, the role of nurses consists in the elimination of harmful aspects of patients’ ethical decisions and protection of their freedom and choice. From this standpoint, nurses play a significant role in considering ethical issues. They are bearing responsibility for preservation of both legal and moral standards, in every individual case of interaction with the patients.
The nursing practices include many ethical dilemmas, the solutions of which influence both nurses and patients. It is a main reason, explaining the prominence of existed ethical issues in nursing and necessity to respond to them appropriately. Among the most significant and complicated ethical dilemmas in nursing, it is possible to single out the problem of euthanasia, abortion, truth telling vs. deliberate deception and freedom vs. control. All of these ethical issues represent considerable dilemmas for nurses to consider for the sake of the patients’ health as well as moral and legal justification.
The problem of abortion or pro-life vs. pro-choice dilemma is regarded as one of the most serious ethical issues in the nursing. It involves many aspects to consider. These ones include the causes of this decision, health conditions of patients, legal regulations on the termination of pregnancy, and the probable consequences of this procedure for the well-being of clients. Moreover, this question is closely connected with the moral implications and religious beliefs. Such ones shape the solution of this dilemma as well. Although the freedom and choice of patients are of paramount importance, a great role in the consideration of this issue belongs to nurses. They are responsible for the positive outcomes and general welfare of every patient.
In fact, abortion can be viewed from two points of view. On one hand, it is a premature birth of a child, caused by unfavorable health conditions, accidents or spontaneous miscarriage. The other definition regards abortion as a conscious termination of pregnancy, derived from women’s personal intentions and plans. While the first meaning of abortion does not cause any dilemmas, the second one forms a significant basis for various debates and discussions. It forms the pro-life vs. pro-choice dilemma. It still has no right solution, despite the frequency of its occurrence in nursing practices.
The major dilemma, caused by the issue of abortion, is the contradiction between the necessity to protect the life of fetus and freedom of women to control their bodies and lives. Obviously, abortion is a significant dilemma for patients, in the first turn. However, it is also a dilemma of nurses, who assist the procedure. In any case, despite the reasons and factors, leading to the patients’ decision to make the abortion, the nursing approach toward this task should coincide with the following principles.
Firstly, nurses should protect the individuals’ autonomy and freedom. It means personal attitudes and opinions of nurses should not be valued higher than the intentions and desires of patients. In fact, the main task of nurses is to provide an opportunity and unprejudiced services, correlating them with legal regulations, in the first turn. Thus, nurses should accept the needs and requirements of patients and act correspondingly. In this situation, they will not violate the personal freedom and demonstrate the evaluation of patients’ demands and plans. However, such an approach is relevant only in case the abortion does not threat the life of a woman and excludes any harmful consequences for the health of a patient.
Secondly, nurses should confess the principle of beneficence. It means that they should do only those actions and procedures, which are beneficial and useful for patients. In other words, if the patient decides on abortion, nurses should provide the necessary assistance, support, instructions, treatment, and medications. Moreover, they should maintain a positive communication and interaction with such patients, without demonstrating their subjective judgements and assessments of the situation. Such approach preserves all ethical aspects of nursing profession since it shows respect to patients and reveals the professional competence as well as help.
In fact, the beneficence of nursing practices includes not only the treatment and medicines. However, it is also relative educating and informing. In other words, nurses should inform patients about all the probable effects of abortion as well as explain the moral and ethical issues of this problem. Nevertheless, the education should not bear subjective, prejudiced or convincing characters. Patients should make their own decisions, concerning with their lives and health conditions.
Thirdly, the nursing approach toward the dilemma of abortions should follow the tenet of harmlessness. Thus, no actions and implications of nursing procedures should harm patients in any possible manner. It means that nurses should not assist the procedure of abortion if it performs even a minor threat to the health and life of a patient. Moreover, harmlessness of nursing practices presupposes the psychological support, aiming at the comprehension of causes of a decision to make the abortion and presentation of alternative ways.
In addition, the nursing approach to abortion should adopt the principle of confidentiality and credence. Nurses should respect the autonomy of patients and protect their privacy once needed. Moreover, nurses should establish trustful relations with patients in order to provide not only professional support, but also psychological and informative help. Without a doubt, the other important aspect of the nurses’ performance consists in their professional competence and skills. Largely, it is important to maintain high quality services and follow the legal regulations, while operating the issue of abortion.
The question of justice is another part of ethical dilemmas. While the moral side of abortion depends on various religious, cultural, personal beliefs and views, its legal aspect has a strict definition. The tenet of justice presupposes that nurses should treat all patients equally without showing personal evaluations and attitudes. Additionally, the measures taken by nurses during the procedure should not contradict with the existed laws and rules. Following a legal side of the conflict is a great step toward solving a dilemma, in general. It witnesses the supremacy of law and appreciation of human rights and freedom. Thus, if abortions are legally allowed the nurses have no virtual and practical excuses to refuse assisting this process.
Finally, nurses should learn every individual in case of abortions and analyze the reasons and causes. In order to complete this task, the medical staff should communicate with patients, learn their situations, and think over possible conclusions. The principle of veracity in nursing practices calls for the objective assessment of every situation and consideration of all factors, aspects, and suggestions of probable solutions. The comprehension of reasons leading to the decision to make abortion defines the further actions. For example, if the woman’s choice to make an abortion is caused by her dissatisfaction with the sex of a fetus, the morality of this decision remains low and unjustified. In this case, it is appropriate for nurses to conduct some informative and educative conversations with an emphasis on value of human lives.
However, if pregnancy performs threats to the health and lives of both a woman and a fetus, this decision finds a solid justification. The same fact is true in relations to the pregnancy based on raping. In such cases, nurses should support patients, while understanding their emotional stress and providing the sufficient psychological support.
Moreover, in order to approach the ethical dilemma of abortion properly, nurses should communicate with the families of patients and learn various sides of the existed problem. In any case, the decision to support abortion should not be spontaneous or immediate. There is a need to consider all factors and aspects to come up with a relevant conclusion. Nurses should also understand that moral judgments of abortions are different, according to the cultural and social background. Thus, even if they consider abortions unacceptable and harmful, patients can stick to another point of view. They may be regarding it solely as a medical intervention. From this point of view, nursing practices should correspond with working obligations and professional duties, when it comes to solving various ethical issues.
To sum up, ethical dilemmas are the frequent occurrences in nursing practices. They emerge in the result of contradictions between legal and moral aspects, professional and personal judgments as well as cultural and social impositions. Abortion is one of major ethical dilemmas in nursing, which calls for the complicated consideration and solutions. Obviously, the nurses and patients’ treatments of these surgeries may vary as well as moral and legal explanations of this process are different, according to the cultural, religious and social backgrounds. Nevertheless, despite the personal values and beliefs, nurses should assist their patients in abortions, providing them with the essential treatment, medicine, support, and instructions.
About the author: Jessica Sanders is a bachelor in English philology and sociology at California University. Jessica is currently working as one of the best writers at personal quality essay She also studies feminine psychology.
