My Senior Nurse approached me today with a request or shall I say "development opportunity, that I must take on!"
I have been requested to present an ethical dilema to our Directorate. I suggested at the time that the problem I could pose is-
Can a practioner, whether nurse or member of the multi-disciplinary team refuse to provide care for a patient?
Two years ago I wrote about this for an assignment as a part of my degree, after a member of our team refused to care for someone who was of a different religion/ culture and found it difficult. I could apreciate how she felt and at the time took on the patient BUT felt that due to our code of conduct that professionally we have an obligation to respect patients as individuals. SO was the dilema mine or hers.
But as an avid member of this BRILLIANT site, thought that I would ask you all first before actually committing myself
CAN WE REFUSE TO CARE FOR A PATIENT? Even a difficult patient
