NHS-FP4000 Assessment 3 Applying Ethical Principles
NHS-FP4000 Assessment 1 Applying Ethical Principles
Develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional by applying ethical principles. Describe the issues and a possible solution in a 3-5 page paper.
For this assessment, you will develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional. Read each portion of the assessment carefully and use the suggested resources to help you
complete the assessment. This assessment provides an opportunity to consider
ethical principles and how they can be applied in health care situations.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them
with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, a family member, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
What are the important facts in the ethical case study?
What are the ethical concepts and principles learned from
reviewing the resources?
How can ethical principles be applied to the case study?
How do you approach an ethical situation within your
organization when you observe it?
How can the ethical principles studied and the lessons
learned from this case study be applied within your organization or a health
care organization where you may work in the future?
Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the
grading criteria in the scoring guide. At a minimum, be sure to address each
point. In addition, you are encouraged to review the performance level
descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.
For this assessment, you will develop a solution to a
specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional. In your
assessment:
Access the Ethical Case Studies media piece linked in the
Resources to review the case studies you may use for this assessment and select
the case most closely related to your area of interest and use that case study
to complete the assessment.
Note: The case study may not supply all of the information
you may need. In such cases, you should consider a variety of possibilities and
infer potential conclusions. However, please be sure to identify any
assumptions or speculations you make.
Identify which case study you selected, briefly summarize
the facts surrounding the case study, and identify the problem or issue in the
case study that presents an ethical dilemma or challenge and describe that
dilemma or challenge.
Use the three components of the ethical decision-making
model (moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior) found in the
Ethical Decision-Making Model media piece in the Resources to analyze the
ethical issues.
Analyze the factors that contributed to the problem or
issue.
Identify who is involved or affected by the problem or
issue.
Describe the factors that contributed to the problem or
issue and explain how they contributed.
In addition to the readings provided, use the Capella
library to locate at least one academic peer-reviewed journal article relevant
to the problem or issue that you can use to support your analysis of the
situation.
Cite and apply the journal article as evidence to support
your critical thinking and analysis of the case.
Assess the credibility of the information source.
Assess the relevance of the information source.
Discuss the effectiveness of the communication approaches
present in the case study.
Describe how the health care professional communicated with
others.
Describe the communication and communication strategies that
were applied, both in creating and in resolving the problems or issues
presented.
Assess instances where the professional communicated
effectively or ineffectively.
Discuss the effectiveness of the approach used by the
professional related to any problems or issues involving ethical practice in
the case.
Describe the actions taken in response to the ethical
dilemma or challenge presented in the case study.
Summarize how well the professional managed professional
responsibilities and priorities to resolve the problem or issue in the case.
Discuss the key lessons this case provides for health care
professionals.
Apply ethical principles to a possible solution to the
proposed problem or issue from the case study.
Describe the proposed solution.
Discuss how the approach makes this professional more
effective or less effective in building relationships across disciplines within
his or her organization.
Discuss how likely it is the proposed solution will foster
professional collaboration.
Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling,
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Determine the proper application of the rules of grammar and
mechanics.
Write using APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and
references.
Determine the proper application of APA formatting
requirements and scholarly writing standards.
Apply the principles of effective composition.
Integrate information from outside sources into academic
writing by appropriately quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, following APA
style.
Example Assessment: You may use the assessment example,
linked in the Assessment Example section of the Resources, to give you an idea
of what a Proficient or higher rating on the scoring guide would look like.
Additional Requirements
Length: At least 3–5 typed, double-spaced pages, not
including the title page and reference page.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
APA Template: Use the APA Style Paper Template as the paper
format and the APA Style Paper Tutorial for guidance. See the Resources for
these documents.
Written communication: Write clearly and logically, with
correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
References: Integrate information from outside sources to
include at least two references (the case study and an academic peer-reviewed
journal article) and three in-text citations within the paper.
APA format: Follow current APA guidelines for in-text
citation of outside sources in the body of your paper and also on the reference
page.
Turnitin: Submit your assessment to Turnitin prior to grading. Then, only submit your final assessment to faculty for grading.
Note: Read the Applying Ethical Principles Scoring Guide to
fully understand how your paper will be graded.
Submit your paper for evaluation by clicking on the
assessment title and uploading the paper as a Word document.
If you would like assistance in organizing your assessment,
or if you simply have a question about your assessment, please do not hesitate
to ask your courseroom instructor or the teaching assistants in the NHS Learner
Success Lab for guidance and suggestions.
NHS-FP4000 Assessment 1 Applying Ethical Principles
Healthcare professionals always encounter ethical challenges in clinical practice that necessitate them to apply moral principles and values to inform their decisions (Varkey, 2021). There are four primary ethical health principles that clinicians are required to comply with. They include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. These principles are the pillar of medical practice because they are designed to guide healthcare professionals to make informed, fair, and ethical decisions during challenging patient situations (Varkey, 2021). The purpose of this paper is to develop a solution to an ethical dilemma faced by a healthcare professional in the given case scenario by applying ethical principles.
Overview of the Case Study
E.L. Straight is the director of clinical services at Hopewell Hospital for the last two years. He has initiated and succeeded in implementing various programs to enhance the quality of healthcare services in the setting leading to improvement in patient healthcare outcomes and satisfaction rates (Capella, 2022). Dr. Cutrite is a brilliant and longest-serving general surgeon in the medical facility. However, his efficiency is currently deteriorating due to a reduction in his mental and physical capabilities. As a result, E.L. Straight has made attempts to cut Dr. Cutrite’s privileges to avert probable problems that might be associated with his inefficiencies in vain. DR. Cutrite continues to perform a full range of procedures (Capella, 2022). One Monday afternoon, the operating room supervisor went to E.L. Straight’s office to report an incident where the plastic needle shield was possibly left in a patient’s stomach after a recent surgery.
E.L. Straight recommended that the patient, Mrs. Jameson, should be brought back immediately for surgery to confirm if the needle shield was left in the stomach and be removed if found. They could tell that they only want to conduct the review after the previous surgery (Capella, 2022). Unfortunately, Mrs. Jameson had already been discharged. The supervisor also told Straight that Dr. Cutrite warned them against making the patient aware. Dr. Cutrite believed that the needle shield was not life-threatening and could only cause sporadic discomfort in patients (Capella, 2022). E.L. Straight is left in a dilemma of choosing between ignoring the issue as recommended by Dr. Cutrite and calling the patient back for surgery. Ignoring the issue would leave E.L. Straight troubled about failing to take the right action and the risk of injuries or complications to the patient. Calling the patient back would risk the reputation of the medical facility and the career of Dr. Cutrite. It also opens the prospect of instituting a lawsuit for negligence by the patient.
Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study
The major factor associated with Straight’s ethical dilemma is the decision by Dr. Cutrite to ignore the needle cap in the patient’s stomach. Dr. Cutrite failed to acknowledge his mistake and take responsibility for his action. The issue would have not occurred if Dr. Cutrite did his task properly and taken responsibility for the omission, which is the moral thing to do. The ethical dilemma is also caused by negligence within the surgical team by failing to verify all the boxes before ending the surgical procedure. The medical team also failed to demonstrate accountability by their inability to identify discrepancies after counting the surgical pack. On his side, E.L. Straight demonstrated the principle of non-maleficence by suggesting that the patient should be brought back for surgery to remove the needle cap. However, the patient has already been discharged, which thwarted the wish of E.L. Straight. The pressing ethical concept that presents in this context is justice.
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Model to Analyze the Case Study
The ethical-decision making model comprises moral awareness, judgment, and ethical behavior. These components help in understanding ethical issues in nursing practice. Moral awareness characterizes the ability to identify an ethical issue. Moral judgment is the pick between the right and wrong action. Ethical behavior constitutes doing what is right and likely to address the ethical dilemma by integrating moral awareness and moral judgment (Johnstone, 2022). The ethical issue at hand can be analyzed using the ethical-decision model. E.L. Straight demonstrated moral awareness by identifying the ethical issue and feeling obligated to take immediate action to address it. E.L. Straight’s moral judgment also manifested when he recommended another surgery to remove the needle cap from the patient’s stomach. Suppose E.L. Straight opted to act ethically, he would embark on addressing the issue guided by the four ethical principles and his judgment.
Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study
Effective communication between healthcare providers is crucial in addressing ethical dilemmas (Arnold et al., 2019). In the case at hand, the operating room supervisor communicated the issue to Dr. Cutrite and E.L. Straight openly and effectively. E.L. Straight demonstrated active listening skills throughout the conversation. After getting the supervisor’s story, he takes immediate action to save the patient. Here, E.L. Straight responded properly to address the issue professionally. However, E.L. Straight demonstrated poor communication skills by hiding facts and asking Dr. Cutrite hypothetical questions during their conversation. Ensuring open communication with Dr. Cutrite would be an appropriate move in this case because they could collaborate as a team to work in the best interest of the patient. Patients’ safety can be upheld if care providers can collaborate to establish the right course. This can only be facilitated by ensuring effective, open communication. The idea of withholding the information, in this case, was ill-advised because the patient risked potential harm if the needle cap was not removed from the stomach. Ethical conversation between all involved parties was necessary for identifying the solution (Arnold & Boggs, 2019). Obtaining diverse opinions and reasoning was crucial to addressing this ethical issue by enhancing understanding of the issue from a broad perspective and making informed choices.
The Effectiveness of the Approach Used
An effective communication approach is crucial in averting unnecessary tensions and conflicts between healthcare professionals. E.L. Straight was hesitant to take action against Dr. Cutrite because he is politically connected and highly influential in the medical facility. Effective communication is vital in eradicating strain and negativity in the workplace. The essence of effective communication and a non-confrontational approach is the promotion of proper workflow and a safe work environment (Arnold & Boggs, 2019). The fundamental lesson for care providers from the case at hand is the essence of ensuring effective communication when interacting with other clinicians.
Resolving the Ethical Dilemma by Applying Ethical Principles
The ideal solution, in this case, is to notify the patient about what happened and be ready to deal with the consequences. The best action is to take the patient back to surgery to confirm whether or not the needle protector was left in the patient’s stomach and remove it. This action is crucial in averting the probable discomfort and other possible negative health implications. This solution is informed by major healthcare ethical principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, and justice (Ilkafah et al., 2021). This proposed solution advances non-maleficence by seeking no harm to the patient, beneficence by promoting the health of the patient, justice by seeking fair patient treatment. The confrontation demonstrated by Dr. Cutrite and E.L. Straight can be addressed by effective communication.
Conclusion
The four ethical healthcare principles of healthcare non-maleficence, beneficence, justice, and autonomy are effective in addressing ethical problems in this case. In the case at hand, E.L. Straight must choose between protecting the interest of the patient by calling her back for surgery and overlooking the issue. The application of the four ethical principles can guide E.L. Straight to create a solution to the ethical issue presented in this case.
References
Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2019). Interpersonal relationships e-book: professional communication skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Capella. (2022). Ethical Case Studies. Retrieved from https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/nhs4000element18655/wrapper.asp
Ilkafah, I., Mei Tyas, A. P., & Haryanto, J. (2021). Factors related to the implementation of nursing care ethical principles in Indonesia. Journal of Public Health Research, 10(2), jphr-2021. Doi: 10.4081/jphr.2021.2211.
Johnstone, M. J. (2022). Bioethics: a nursing perspective. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119
APA Writing Checklist
Use this document as a checklist for each paper you will write throughout your GCU graduate program. Follow specific instructions indicated in the assignment and use this checklist to help ensure correct grammar and APA formatting. Refer to the APA resources available in the GCU Library and Student Success Center.
Check Out Also: NHS-FP4000 Assessment 3 Analysis of a current health care problem or issue.
☐ APA paper template (located in the Student Success Center/Writing Center) is utilized for the correct format of the paper. APA style is applied, and format is correct throughout.
☐ The title page is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ The introduction is present. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ Topic is well defined.
☐ Strong thesis statement is included in the introduction of the paper.
☐ The thesis statement is consistently threaded throughout the paper and included in the conclusion.
☐ Paragraph development: Each paragraph has an introductory statement, two or three sentences as the body of the paragraph, and a transition sentence to facilitate the flow of information. The sections of the main body are organized to reflect the main points of the author. APA format is applied correctly. There are no errors.
☐ All sources are cited. APA style and format are correctly applied and are free from error.
☐ Sources are completely and correctly documented on a References page, as appropriate to assignment and APA style, and format is free of error.
Scholarly Resources: Scholarly resources are written with a focus on a specific subject discipline and usually written by an expert in the same subject field. Scholarly resources are written for an academic audience.
Examples of Scholarly Resources include: Academic journals, books written by experts in a field, and formally published encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Peer-Reviewed Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are evaluated prior to publication by experts in the journal’s subject discipline. This process ensures that the articles published within the journal are academically rigorous and meet the required expectations of an article in that subject discipline.
Empirical Journal Article: This type of scholarly resource is a subset of scholarly articles that reports the original finding of an observational or experimental research study. Common aspects found within an empirical article include: literature review, methodology, results, and discussion.
Adapted from “Evaluating Resources: Defining Scholarly Resources,” located in Research Guides in the GCU Library.
☐ The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English. Utilize writing resources such as Grammarly, LopesWrite report, and ThinkingStorm to check your writing.