Describe How You Would Respond to Mr. Newcomb’s Request.
Mr. Newcomb requested I deceive his wife into allowing him to have ample time to spend with his mistress. My job description as a nurse practitioner does not include having a bias towards patients on their extramarital affairs. Mr. Newcomb’s request is genuine since he has never asked for assistance during his stay in the hospital. However, as a nursing professional, I would respectfully decline Mr. Newcomb’s appeal to fabricate lies to his wife so that he can have some personal time with his mistress. The Code of Ethics for Nurses emphasizes that a patient’s need should not expose nurses to debauchery in the hospital environment (Olson & Stokes, 2016). As an ethical medical practitioner, it is my responsibility to honor the patient’s medical needs while respecting his personal life decisions. Mr. Newcomb’s medical condition warrants his request to put his affairs in order, but nursing ethics prohibit lying to patients or their families. Therefore, I would not grant Mr. Newcomb’s plea to lying to his wife as I would be going against the ethical guidelines of the nursing profession. However, I would also not prevent him from meeting his mistress since it’s his choice. I would consul him to schedule his visiting hours to accommodate his mistress without lying to his wife.
Evaluate How You Applied the Principles of Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, Autonomy, And Justice to The Scenario
The principle of beneficence states that nurses should do good to the patient. The actions of the nursing professional seek to prevent harm and upgrade the status of patients. The principle of beneficence seeks to improve the patient’s health thus is considered to align with medical treatments. For example, Mr. Newcomb requests to alleviate his moods by seeing his mistress rather than improving his quality of life through requests such as pain management. I declined his request since it is not medically beneficial to Mr. Newcomb’s hospice care treatment.
The principle of nonmaleficence is incorporated in the sacred code of doctors, the Hippocratic oath, which states that doctors should avoid harming patients (Haddad & Geiger, 2018). The harm can either be intentional or unintentional. The principle of nonmaleficence entails not harm Mr. Newcomb. The denial of his request does not correlate with doing medical harm since it involves his relationship. As long as quality care is provided, the principle of nonmaleficence is rightly exercised.
The principle of autonomy entails allowing patients the freedom of choice and action. The granting of freedom of choice is respected where the patient’s views are regarded as supreme. I exercised the principle of autonomy by allowing Mr. Newcomb to state his request without judging his life decisions. The principle of autonomy states that patient’s medical requests are considered binding, but their fulfillment is subject to violation of nursing moral codes. Therefore, I would not participate in fulfilling his request since it would violate the moral code of nurses.
The principle of justice entails equity and fairness in treatment. The principle of justice requires that medical practitioners share resources equitably among patients without prejudice based on the personal relationship between nurses and patients. Granting Mr. Newcomb’s request would be disregarding the principle of justice and fairness since it entails providing special treatment based on good rapport, thus violating the ethical codes.
Examine How Personal Beliefs and Values Influenced Your Response to The Scenario
My decision not to deceive Mrs. Newcomb is rooted in my personal beliefs and values that uphold my standard of personal care as a nursing professional. I strive to practice my work as a nursing professional guided by values such as honesty and confidentiality. In the scenario, honesty entails being sincere to the patient and family regarding his medical condition. The act of deceiving Mrs. Newcomb would be going against my principle of integrity and showcasing unethical practices. Correspondingly, I am a strong advocate for confidentiality regarding patient’s privacy. As a nurse professional, my main task is to care for my patients and not get involved in their personal life.
I believe that marriage is sacred; thus, cheating should not be tolerated under any circumstance. However, I have no authority to meddle in the patient’s marriage wrangles thus, interfering with Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb’s marriage issues amounts to a violation of the patient’s privacy since it entails crossing the stipulated patient-nurse relationship boundary (Cherry & Jacob, 2016). Nurses are also not allowed to impose their beliefs and values on patients; thus, I have no obligation to lecture Mr. Newcomb on his extramarital affairs since he also views the topic. Mr. Newcomb has not broken any hospital rules as the conflict of ideas does not classify as a crime according to the hospital policy.
Describe Three Strategies to Promote Self-Care
Three strategies to promote self-care include regular exercise, eating healthy and getting enough sleep. The first strategy is exercising, as it helps alleviate stressors and improves general fitness levels (Davis, 2018). Exercising includes engaging in a hobby with friends for approximately 20 minutes or going for a walk. The second strategy is eating a healthy diet to ensure proper growth and development, including mental growth. The intake of nutritious food also helps improve energy levels and protects the body from illnesses. The third strategy is getting adequate that translates to six hours per night. Adequate sleep is associated with the improved immune system and memory processing, performance maximization and promotion of mental wellness. Therefore, it is prudent to create a sleep routine to promote consistency by creating a work-life balance.
