Beneficence Issues In Nursing

700 Words3 Pages

"Let whoever is in charge keep this simple question in her head (not, how can I always do this right thing myself, but) how can I provide for this right thing to be always done?" Florence Nightingale (1946, p. 30). Professionally, ethical nursing practice is reflected in Nursing Council of New Zealand (2012) competencies across all four domains. Nursing is a fundamentally moral endeavour. Grounded in caring and a commitment to do good, professional responsibilities are reflected in societal expectations (Humphries, & Woods, 2014). Suitably, ethical nursing practice is dominant in Nursing Council of New Zealand (2012 a) competencies and is evident across all four domains. Even so, complex clinical situations that are ethically incongruent or …show more content…

Within this dimension, it is important to align ethical and medical concepts with person-centred care. It is imperative to consider the holistic wellbeing of Richard as opposed to a biomedical process as 'clinical issues ' would insinuate. The clinical issues within this scenario relate to Richard and his sexual partners physical and emotional safety. Two key terms relevant to this are beneficence and non-maleficence. Beneficence can be defined as a concept of doing good, not to be confused with non-maleficence or not causing harm (NZNO, 2010). With regards to this, key clinical objectives are …show more content…

Richards concern that he may have caught something indicates the need for both prompt screening and discussion on why he has become concerned i.e. physical symptoms, not using condoms or an infected partner. In accordance with New Zealand Sexual Health Society guidelines (2017a), recommended tests for men who have sex with men should commence. Within the New Zealand context, these tests are free and confidential. This confidentiality extends to clients under the age of 16, so is not in conflict with Richards privacy (Sexually Transmitted Infections Education Foundation, 2018). In regard to, Richards anxiety, prompt screening, timely treatment and clinical management alleviate the psychological burden of uncertainty and improves clinical outcomes (New Zealand Family Planning, 2018). This testing should be provided in conjunction with appropriate health education around safe sexual practices to increase health literacy and prevent further