Top ethical concerns to RNs

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 19, 2015

Wow ? You and everyone who liked this post call yourself care givers ? Where is the caring in any of you ? Way to help out a fellow nurse ! You should have just ignored the post instead of adding your 2 cents only to put someone down ! Hope you don't approach your patients in the same condescending manor !

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midnighter94, ADN · Nov 20, 2015

Well, mine's a little bit different perspective because I work labor & delivery.

1) Drug use in pregnancy - huge issue lately! Yes, we have the casual use of marijuana, and we have to do a social work consult for them, too. But you would be surprised by how many women are doing so much more! We often have women that are taking Subutex/Suboxone/Methadone. Those babies often stay with us for up to a month or so, being medicated with morphine to help them with their withdrawals. It's difficult not to get angry with these women.

2) OB is the area of medicine that has the most lawsuits, so we always have to be careful with what we say, what we do, that we follow medication policies exactly. Getting called into a deposition is not fun! Even if the hospital has done nothing wrong, if what went wrong was only the patient's fault, chances are she'll get a check.

3) We sometimes have patients come in with no prenatal care at all. Once again, you can't judge them, you have to treat them just as nice as everyone else. They get the best of care, a private room, etc. And they are usually the most rude to the staff.

4) Termination of pregnancy. Ah..that's a big one, and tricky! The hospital by-laws don't allow for abortions, so we don't perform those, but sometimes a pregnancy may be incompatible with life; or her membranes are leaking, it's not a viable pregnancy and there are signs of infection; there are times that labor needs to be induced before the pregnancy is viable & I've seen nurses refuse to take care of the patient because they didn't believe the doctor, maybe he was just making up the reason.

5) Not resuscitating a newborn - depending on how many weeks it is. Viability is considered 24 weeks, but it's getting younger all the time. We have neonatology speak with the patient about the risks and the odds, and sometimes they want everything done despite the odds of survival, or sometimes they don't.

CHESSIE · Nov 25, 2015

Another thread was just posted, asking RN's for their help in researching ethical issues. The 2nd poster flat-out acknowledged that it was a homework assignment.

Sadly, not all nurses are as understanding or as collegial regarding our fellow nurses as we should strive to be.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

It is for research, that includes asking others in this case, nurses. Your answer was very unkind.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

I have worked in Hospice settings too. I have ethical concerns as to how we define human life and end of life care.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

[COLOR=#000000]"With different rules and expectations. Even different laws." I never received this memo. You just better make sure you are operating within the laws and proper standards of practise. Those very people that are asking you to "put grandpa to sleep", will not hesitate to turn on you. I also believe in Karma, I went into nursing to help others heal, and I want to make sure my hands are clean.[/COLOR]

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

I get it. I am not sure which way you are going or get the reference about the patient's arm falling of the bed. I just felt like a trained for a culture of life and when I went to Hospice it was a culture of death. I am not making any accusations or anything like that, but it was very different and I had ethical questions. With my own parents, they were under Hospice care, but the family was in control. My father was a doctor and he really did die peacefully and naturally. He did not take morphine and only small amounts of pain medication. He ate and drank fluids to the end and the end came naturally, the same with my mother and they were comfortable and clear headed to the end.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

I have been in a situation similar with a vent patient.

Garden,RN, ASN, RN · Aug 10, 2016

I disagree and many patients sense this as well. It is pretty obvious clinically. My general experience was that once the patient started receiving the cocktails, many became chemically addicted and it sure seem to hasten death. My own physician father would not take morphine while he was under hospice care.

Janetnzrn · Nov 28, 2016

I worki in NICU, for me it's pain management.