Ethics in nursing students

I got the paper on Wednesday and noticed a very interesting article that caught my eye in relation to this class. If you haven't read the article this is what its about:

Ethics test student nurses
UCF nursing graduates share advice
Karen Johnson
Published: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Updated: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Christina DeParis

A Creole-speaking patient is admitted to the hospital with neurocysticercosis, worms in the brain. The nurse arranges for an interpreter to go over discharge information with his family, including how to properly care for him and give him his 10 medications. The hospital’s housekeeper who speaks Creole says that they shouldn’t release the patient, because she overheard the patient’s mother saying that she didn’t fully understand what the interpreter meant.
“What do you do?” UCF alumna Brandie Hollinger asked a group of 25 students, teachers and guests in the Student Union.
Hollinger used her real-world experience as a registered nurse to illustrate the situations that test a nurse’s ethics at the first Ethics Initiative for the College of Nursing Monday night.
“Perspective is everything,” Hollinger said. “Everyone is going to look at a situation and react differently. You have to do what is best for your patient.”
“As nurses, we want to fix the world,” Hollinger said. “If it’s wrong, we want to fix it and make it right. That’s just the way it is, but whatever you do, make sure you can justify it.”
Linda M. Hennig, College of Nursing associate dean of Undergraduate Affairs, said to not let personal preferences get in the way of ethical decisions.
“Some people don’t believe in abortion, but it is legal,” she said. “You have an obligation to care for the patient.”
UCF biology major, Breanna Lee said she agreed with the speakers about separating ethics from personal beliefs.
“Just because I don’t agree doesn’t mean it isn’t proper,” she said.
Fellow UCF nursing alumnae Ronnie Brewer and Elizabeth Medina joined Hollinger in sharing their experiences.
Brewer talked about ethical issues concerning tipping a hospital worker, stealing and using feeding tubes on patients.
“When you are considering ethics in medicine, the first rule is to do no harm,” Brewer said.
“There are three H’s in ethics: head, heart and hands. Use your heart and trust your instincts and observe,” she said. Medina said the best thing you can do for a patient is to be there for them.
“Support, support, support, you want to be their go-to person,” she said.
Nurses should push their personal judgments aside. It doesn’t matter if the patient is black or white, or rich or poor.
“The reality of nursing is that there are always going to be ethical issues,” Hollinger said. “You control whether you get upset or don’t control the situation properly.”
As for the Creole-speaking patient, Hollinger did not discharge him. She said the nurses made different charts for the mother to follow and were role-playing to help her understand how to care for her son.
The Ethics Initiative’s SGA representative, Meredith Maher, said that this presentation was a wake-up call.
“Being a student nurse that is going to graduate soon, all the points helped me realize how real graduation is and how real the experiences are,” Maher said. “It’s reality, that’s nursing.”


I think the approach toward this particularly situation went very well and it is the beginning to a change of avoiding all ethical and legal issues in health care. I think that though it wasn't the duty of the housekeeper to speak up, she felt the need to help someone were she works which takes alot of courage knowing that just being a housekeeper some people might just look past what she has to say thinking that her voice doesnt matter, but it does, everyones voice matters. I think that it was a very good example to bring up to the nursing students because other than cases you hear all the time, this just happened and is a situation that was taken care of properly. They talk about personal preferences in the article and how nurses should not let them get in the way of their care for patients, I think this to be a very important and valuable fact. Although you might disagree on something as a health care provider you must always remember your obligation to the patient. Your opinions may be strong in some cases but you have to know going into the field that yes my opinion does matter in some cases but the patient comes first and those opinions may be expressed but the patients decision is final say. I think alot of people get stubborn and act in such a way that is not needed when some believes in something different then they do, that is when you take the time and stand back and look at the situation and question yourself about your career and your duty to that patient or your career. I think that it is very important in health care for your first instict to be "do no harm" that is to the patient in all aspects whether it be care or spirit, it isnt our job to criticize anyones beliefs. If you are goinng into the nursing field or anything above, you should be doing it truly for the sake of the people and to help society itself. The three H's is a good place to start following your heart because being a good person you know deep down what is the right thing to do, although your judgement may be compromised by certain things, you need to follow your heart in all walks of life. Head, use your knowledge from school and life experiences to help you in every situation. This also goes with your hands and the work that you have been through to come this far must mean something. Hands will guide your patients through the care that they need. I think that this article went very well in the treatment of the patient in showing her charts and things to help her better understand what is going on. All around the world people would have just let the patient go, letting creed and money stand in the way of their true judgement. In the end I think people should have a heart dont do untoo others what you dont want done to you. I would expect the best care therefore I would give the best care to patients, because that is what they deserve.