The article covers the moral/ethical question of stating the truth versus lying as it pertains to Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) (Fant, 2012). The situation is extremely problematic when family members do not want the patient to know the truth about his or her medical condition. In such a case, the APN must exercise caution.
The moral and ethical quandary that surrounds the subject
When the family insists that disclosing the patient's prognosis will only cause harm, the Advanced Practice Nurse is frequently caught off guard (McCarthy et al. 2017). The Nurse is, therefore, left stranded between exercising the patient’s rights to know about the condition and assessing the degree of truth in the claim by the relatives.
The ethical issue in comparison to the State Health Laws and Regulations in Mississippi
According to the State Health Laws and Regulations, it is unethical for an Advanced Practice Nurse to keep the truth from the patient despite their condition as it is a patient’s right to know their medical condition (Fant, 2012). However, the Nurse is allowed to keep the truth from the patient if it could cause harm to the patient. The practitioner must, therefore, make a sound decision that is guided by professional obligations, ethical principles and human rights.
The process of ethical decision making I would use to address this moral dilemma
To be in such a position is challenging. However, I would talk to the patient’s family members and enlighten them of the patient’s rights and how it would benefit both the patient and themselves. To help ease their fears, I would enlighten them on exactly what the patient needs to know (Dolan, 2017). Additionally, I would counsel them on the Kubler- Ross’s five stages of grief which are a standard process for any terminally ill patient and his/her loved ones. The family would then understand that they play a vital role during this time and how they can assist to help the patient to feel comfortable during this period.
References
Fant Cathy. (2012). Major Ethical Dilema in Nursing.
http://www.nursetogether.com/ethical-dilemmas-in-nursing
Dolan, C. (2017). Moral, Ethical, and Legal Decision-making in Controversial NP Practice Situations. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners.
McCarthy, B., McCarthy, J., Trace, A., & Grace, P. (2016). Addressing ethical concerns arising in nursing and midwifery students’ reflective assignments. Nursing Ethics, 0969733016674767.
