Ethical Issue in Nursing

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Hey all. I have had a long day! My first day of clinicals was fantastic, I was able to do a full assessment, a subQ, 2 bed baths, 2 accuchecks, and numerous bed changes, and transporting patients for a CT. ANy how it was a LONG day and I am running on no sleep, something I'm not use too. I was up ALL night doing a careplan, but daytonite among other users helped me out a great deal. For concepts tomorrow I have to come up with a brief presentation on an Ethical Issue in Nursing that I have particular interest and an opinion about? I have no idea to even begin, I googled it and nothing even cathes my eye and was wondering if any of you could please help with some suggestions for a topic that I might do some research on.

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how bout DNR and family. i remember in nursing in society we talked about patients not having signed DNR and then the family members have to choose for them live or die and that creates problems with family members because one sibling might want their parent to be taking of life support becuase it was something they discussed at one time without the other sibling around. you known what i mean?? something like that. those are always interesting.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

We had a big issue at the hospital where I worked many years ago when a family wanted to pull an NG tube and stop all tube feedings on a patient who was comatose and had been sustained on these tube feedings for a number of years already. After a court order came through to pull the tube, some of the nurses still refused to do it.

Had another patient who went on a hunger strike. Doctor ordered an NG tube and tube feedings. Patient refused. Hospital went to court and got a court order. Patient had to be restrained against her will for the court order to be enforced. A number of nurses, again, refused to comply with the court order.

Many nurses won't even consider working in an abortion clinic because they feel abortions are the same as committing murder.

You suspect and maybe even have some evidence that a nurse you work with might be abusing narcotics. Report her, or say nothing?

You might do a search of the nursing student forums for "ethics". This subject has come up before.

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Great ideas, thank you both.

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