D129_Task_3_Position

Position Paper Ethical Challenges and Legal Implications Nurses are faced with many ethical challenges every day. Along with those ethical challenges there are legal implications that encompass these challenges. The two ethical challenges, as well as the legal implications of these challenges, I chose to discuss are end of life care and incompetent staff. End of life care is an ethical challenge nurses in my organization have to deal with from time to time. Autonomy of the patient at the end of life is a very important part of the patients care. Allowing the patient to make their own choice of what is best for them in their care is their right (Denisco & Barker, 2016). Being an advocate for the patient right to choose is the nurse’s ethical duty. Regardless of the patient’s ability to function or how close they are to dying the nurse is required to respect the rights and dignity of all patients or all people in general. A patient’s unique values, preferences, and needs are key components to guide patient centered care through the nursing process. For nurses ethically this can be hard to deal with sometimes due to patient’s families not wanting to honor the patient’s choice to not be resuscitated. With an Advanced Directive, a legally recognized document, on file for the patient this prevents family from overriding the patient’s choice and protects the staff from legal ramifications for honoring the patient’s choice (American Nurses Association, 2015). Incompetent Staff is another ethical challenge a nurse in my organization will have to work with. Nurses are dealt with the ethical dilemma of figuring out whether to inform management about the unsafe practices of the nurse or not saying anything at all. This can be a difficult decision if the nurses are friends. Close bonds are made among nurses due to the stressful situations they are placed in on a daily basi