Help! Ethical Dilemma

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with regards to ethical dilemmas i am in a little dilemma what to do in my situation:

maria, a fifteen year old girl, is visiting a health clinic accompanied by

her mother. they are initially seen to by doris a nurse. her mother diane

is very upset and anxious since her daughter is looking and feeling very

week. she has not been eating appropriately and has vomited several times in

the past week.

as soon as diane leaves the room to answer an urgent call, maria discloses

that she is afraid that she might be pregnant and does not want her mother

to find out since she would be very cross and probably against the suspected

pregnancy. diane enters the room and asks doris for her professional help.

what in your opinion should be the correct course of action that doris

should be taking?

how should come to a conclusion please?

regards

paulianne

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

Welcome to AN! The Largest online nursing community!

We are happy to help with homework but we won't do it for you. To better help you what semester are you? What have you found out so far? What do you think? Is this really an ethical dilemma or a legal one? What are the laws about minors seeking reproductive help without parental consent? What are the privacy (HIPAA) laws about notifying the parent about reproductive issues?

What is HIPAA? https://allnurses.com/hipaa-nursing-challenges/answer-hipaa-violation-693686.html

Age of consent: Let me google that for you

HIPAA and minors: Let me google that for you

AN: HIPAA.....https://allnurses.com/hipaa-nursing-challenges/hippa-parents-minors-714100.html

Google Search Results for HIPAA and minors

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

you will have to weigh autonomy against being a minor. List the steps in ethical considerations then write down what part of the scenario fits that step.

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information about reproduction is protected even if you are a minor(at least in my state). It would be a breach of confidentiality to tell the monther anything about it. I understand why some may feel differently, but these laws exist for a reason. You don't know what will happen to the child if her mother finds out. You also dont know the circumstances of the conception. I would not want to be responsible for destroying this childs home life or worse, endangering them physicaly, over a scare or even a confirmed pregnancy.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

Same here, confidential unless a threat to life or limb.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Same here, confidential unless a threat to life or limb.

Not true.....Treatment Of Minors

Treatment Of Minors (Encyclopedia of Everyday Law) - eNotes.com

The actual laws vary slightly state to state.

[url=http://www.foulston.com/publications/articleDisplay.cfm?id=204][/url]http://www.foulston.com/publications/articleDisplay.cfm?id=204

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.

True. Statutory exemption, at least how most providers view it (around here anyways).

An for the OP, remember we are taking legal not ethical.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

But when confronted with a nursing scenario that violates your ethical beliefs....Does the law prevail?

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
But when confronted with a nursing scenario that violates your ethical beliefs....Does the law prevail?

I agree this is the pressing question. Just because it's legal does not make it ethical. There are legal procedures that I won't do in practice, instead I would refer them out to another provider.

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But when confronted with a nursing scenario that violates your ethical beliefs....Does the law prevail?

isn't it about the patient? If the nurses ethical choice goes against the patients safety, they should defer to another provider. Going against the legal right of a scared young girl is not very ethical, in my opinion.

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"but when confronted with a nursing scenario that violates your ethical beliefs....does the law prevail?"

which law, which scenario? if something would be in violation of the nurse practice act, then the answer is clear there.

if it's something that does not involve my license, i look to my conscience first and the law second. the law says i will turn in to the authorities anyone of x religion or y ethnicity? no can do.

it's not about me, it's about the patient. "do no harm" comes to mind. i have no business imposing my ethical beliefs on someone else.

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Look into reproductive rights and teens, as taught by your text or teachers.

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