Decision making is a
crucial asset that a nurse should possess. The situations that nurses often
finds themselves in, are devoid of the simple right and wrong ethical
structure. The decisions they make may not result in legal ramifications, but
can cause emotional turmoil, further enabling complications on the job.
The right to refuse a
patient is both an ethical and moral dilemma, and can be one of the most
important decisions a nurse will ever have to make. Societal and workplace
factors may also play a role in the outcome of this decision.
Nurses are the epitome of
compassion and unparalleled understanding. They are required to maintain
psychological and mental balance at all times. Therefore, when the issue
becomes refusing a patient or not, the nurse should make the most informed
decision based on environmental factors.
Related: How to Stay Alert on Your Drive Home from Work
Related: How to Stay Alert on Your Drive Home from Work
The
nurse’s oath
The oath nurses take
morally binds them to take care of their patients. This involves looking after
them irrespective of their religion, sex, socioeconomic status, views and
personality. And irrelevant to what kind of disease or other problem they are
suffering from.
A nurse never knows who
they will be treating next, and for what. Each patient brings with them their
own personality traits, health problems, and nuances. This is why nurses
receive relevant training that is insusceptible to the prejudices brought forth
by different personality types.
When
should a nurse refuse treating a patient?
When a nurse is sick, and
that illness is potentially going to spread to their patient, then the nurse should refuse treating said
patient. Any conditions or situations
that would potentially worsen a patient’s recovery, should be avoided at all
costs. This is especially true for sick
nurses.
Is
it ever ethical to refuse a patient?
There
are of course extenuating circumstances which make it easier to decide you are
not going to help a patient. If the patient has a serious criminal record,
volatile religious beliefs, societal issues, or is abusive. Life-threatening
behavior can warrant a nurse to refuse helping these patients. If the nurse is
working with a relief society, then the situation can arise where they are not
in a safe working environment.
These are a few examples
of the many complications that arise in a nurse’s life. The complications vary
according to different work specialization of nurses. It may or may not be
ethical to refuse a patient, but most importantly nurses should know they are
not alone. Support systems are in places for nurses in conundrums, and can always
ask for suggestions and help from nursing communities and colleagues alike.
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