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[Leo77]

Hello,

I am hoping for any advice on my entrance paper.

here is the prompt:

In some situations, especially when a family member is terminally ill, family members may request that the patient not be told their diagnosis or prognosis (e.g. how long they will live).

However, the nurse has an obligation to the patient to do good (beneficence) and to do no harm (non-maleficence).

If you were the nurse in this situation, would it ever be appropriate to withhold information from a patient?

Why or why not?

Please write a one to two page response and upload to this requirement.

As a nurse you face many situations in where your ethics are questioned and you have to make a choice on what is right. A nurse's first priority should always be the patients' best interest and when it comes to being told their diagnosis the patient should have the right to know.

It is part of the nursing code of ethics to do no harm to the patient. In not telling the patient the truth it can do them harm by not being able to pick the right treatment options or say goodbye to loved ones. Regardless of what the family wants if the patient is of sound mind then there is no reason to withhold information about their diagonosis.

Not only is it a part of the code of ethics, but people should have their autonomy respected. Without knowing their diagnosis, it would be hard for someone to make the correct choice in treatment for themselves. Some people do not want to go through chemotherapy and even if the family does not agree it is the patients' right to have their wishes respected.

However, there are always exceptions, such as with children, where it might not be in their best interest to be told their diagnosis. Children have guardians and if their guardian thinks it is appropriate they should know then they can. Also with people who are incompetent, it might do more harm for them to know the truth of their diagnosis.

With all ethics it is up to the nurse to have good judgment when trying to decide what to do about a situation. Nurses should always have the patient's best interest in mind even if family members disagree. Telling a patient difficult news can be done in a sensitive and timely manner, without damaging the relationship between the family, patient and nurse.

[EmDash]

First off, consider looking a bit into formal writing styles. Things like using second person, "you," is considered informal and isn't generally accepted in academic papers. You want to show the program you are able to write a logical and thoughtful academic response, which is what will be needed in the program.

Otherwise, this looks too short to be even one page, and it feels like a surface level explanation with some repeating of general thoughts. You need to go deeper and think about it more. Discuss your points further. Then, set it up as a concise, multi-level argument. One thing should logically lead to another with each paragraph having a topic sentence.

[Tacocat, ASN, RN]

It sounds...elementary?

Bedside nursing should be about patient-centered care. If the patient is requesting that information but the family is resistant, what would be best course of action be? Could you request a family meeting with the patient, family, and MD? A hospital chaplain to help the family and patient process a poor prognosis?

Is it the place of a nurse to give someone a formal diagnosis or test results that may have catastrophic consequences or should the attending physician be notified so they can deal with that information?