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Nursing Ethics: Ethical Dilemmas And Ethics In Nursing

2020 Words9 Pages
Ethics is the moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). Nurses face ethical dilemmas on a daily basis irrespective of where they practice. No matter where nurses work in their diverse roles, they are faced with ethical choices that can affect them and their patients (Fant, 2012). There is no “right” solution to an ethical issue. An ethical dilemma is a problem deprived of an adequate resolution. The consequence of ethical decision-making rests in the fact that very different ethical issues regarding the same moral dilemmas can be made, resulting in neither a “right nor wrong” decision. Ethics involves doing “good” and causing no harm. Yet how one expresses what is ethical can differ from nurse to nurse. Educating nurses on the principles of nursing ethics give them the appropriate tools to base ethical decisions upon. Nevertheless, this information is then moulded by the values, beliefs and experiences of the nurse. Therefore, very different choices may be made regarding the same dilemma.
Restraint must only be used: (1) as a last resort only, when it is absolutely necessary to protect the patient’s or others’ safety; (2) as safely as possible; (3) with respect for the patient’s human dignity; and (4) under the supervision of a doctor (The Mental Health Act, 2008). Restraint can be categorised into: physical, chemical, mechanical, technological and psychological. Physical restraint involves holding patients

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