Job Interview - Ethical Dilemma Question

[chihuahuaman]

Hello,

I have an interview on Monday for a new position and I'm trying to get ready for the questions. One of the common questions I just can't seem to wrap my head around is the "Tell us about a time you had an ethical dilemma and how you dealt with it". I've talked to friends who are nurses about it, I've searched this forum but it seems the scenarios I think are ethical dilemmas never are.

Does anyone have suggestions or feedback to help me distinguish ethical dilemmas from ordinary difficult situations?

Thanks.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

A difficult situation can be an ethical dilemma. I would be the first to say that you should know where your resources are and how to use them. It is a team sport, and don't go solo attempting to tackle an ethical dilemma. Ethical dilemmas can be subjective. The nurse should not personalize the dilemma, but rather look at it from the patient's point of view. The mission statement of the facility states that __________ (whatever it says about patient dignity and respect). That is a guide to nursing practice that should be applied to any dilemma.

In other words, you may not have an example of a specific ethical dilemma, however, you can discuss the generalities of how you would deal with an ethical dilemma if presented with one.

[Miss Rayanne]

An ethical dilemma is when you have two moral imperatives and they are in conflict with each other. For example, let's say you are broke, would you steal bread to feed your family?

I believe most nurses will encounter several before they retire. The first time I encountered an ethical dilemma was when the administrator and DON in my nursing home came up to me and informed me that one of my patients' son died of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. The mother of the deceased had no previous instances of behavior issues, anxiety, or outbursts, yet the administrator and DON wanted me to call her physician and obtain an order to premedicate her with Ativan, prior to the social worker informing her of the bad news. Ultimately I told the two that I would not have anything to do with chemically restraining a women in that manner. If the patient wanted something to calm her nerves, she would have to come to me and request it herself.

I hope I answered your question. Good luck with your interview.

[chihuahuaman]

Thank you. I like your approach!

[chihuahuaman]

Thank you. Now that you've mentioned your story, I too have been in a similar situation, but with physical restraints that I felt were being used just for the convenience of the management.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Another ethical dilemma could be a nurse working in an ambulatory surgery center where abortions are not routinely performed. An OB/Gyn brings her patient who is pregnant with (conjoined twins/congenital abnormalities incompatible with life/etc.) and whose preference it is to terminate the pregnancy instead of waiting for nature to take its course. The surgeon has taken the case to the Ethics Committee and has been approved for a therapeutic abortion.

Are you willing to actively work with this patient? Will you.....admit her? Recover her? Work in the OR, assisting in the actual procedure?

[chihuahuaman]

Thanks for your thoughts on this subject. I had my interview today and they didn't ask any questions about ethics! Yay for me!