No time for ethical dilemmas

[ilovensg]

As a nurse practitioner, do you come across a lot of dilemmas that challenge your ethical principles and if so, what do you do? I'm curious to hear all experiences, but would really like some input on what providers have dealt with in the outpatient setting, where ethical resources are limited. Then, if addressed with a dilemma, how do you make time from your already limited schedule to resolve it? Sometimes, do you feel you just can't devote yourself to it because more pertinent issues need to addressed? What's the reality I'll be getting myself into? Thanks!

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

This is a pretty big question and it would help if you could give an example of what kind of ethical dilemma you fear. However, very broadly speaking, when faced with an ethical dilemma I pretty much always do what will allow me to sleep at night.

[Jules A, MSN]

This is a pretty big question and it would help if you could give an example of what kind of ethical dilemma you fear. However, very broadly speaking, when faced with an ethical dilemma I pretty much always do what will allow me to sleep at night.

I agree with TakeTwoAspirin. On a basic level one thing I love about being the team leader is that if things aren't suiting me I put my foot down and insist they get straightened out to my liking. I actually can't think of a situation where I felt I compromised my ethical values or duty. Not that things always work out ideally but definitely no ethics violations.

[AtomicWoman]

Not sure what you are looking for, but one of the thorniest problems for me (primary care) is telling someone they can't drive and then reporting them to the DMV. I know that many of my patients are utterly dependent on having a car to get around, and by doing this, I am probably going to make them upset, depressed, etc. However, the actual decision isn't hard to make. I think of the patient getting into an accident and harming him/herself or someone else. And I am legally obligated to report these patients, so that makes the decision easier. But it still bothers me and it doesn't seem to get easier (from my emotional standpoint) to do it the longer I am in practice.