NURS 8002 Week 10 Discussion: Ethics and the DNP-Prepared Nurse
Ethics is very relevant in the practice of Nursing, and most relevant in the mental health field because people who have mental illness are mostly in a vulnerable state, and being a DNP prepared Nurse puts us in a position to prioritize the patient’s wellbeing through the way they are treated, like with respect and dignity regardless of their mental status. The Two significant ethical issues relevant to the DNP prepared Nurses includes (a) Autonomy and informed consent and Confidentiality and privacy.
Autonomy and informed consent. It is important and ethical that the DNP Nurse ensures the autonomy of patient while administering care, and informed consent when intervening in the patients’ health or even for research purposes. it is very essential that patient reserves their right to make decisions concerning their health, either by agreeing or refusing having been informed about the risk and benefits associated with their options, that way they can make an informed decision. It is the responsibility of the service provider to give the service seeker sufficient information and to assist him or her in selecting a suitable intervention (Dalal 2020). For example, in the mental health field, the DNP prepared Nurse, while treating a patient for depression, might think that the next line of action is ECT, but will not impose it on the patient, rather would run it by the patient including all the risk and the benefits associated with it. Secondly is Confidentiality and privacy- Goal here is to protect the privacy of the patient, and not disclose the patient health details to unauthorized personnel. While there are exceptions to this like in the cases where the law requests it, protection of the patient’s privacy is a relevant ethical issue, and there are consequences when breached. Legal repercussions could result from a health professional’s neglect to share information (Ewuoso, et al., 2021).
According to the article of Rejno et al (2020), which identified some ethical challenges, and with concern on patients with impaired integrity, it suggests that with understanding and implementing the concepts of dignity, a DNP prepared Nurse can provide an individualized, or patient centered care that is ethically grounded, while prioritizing the needs of the patient. Emphasizing that dignity can be applied in caring for patients, and still protect them from harm.
The ethical considerations are comparable to those faced by mental health nurses, but the environment may be slightly different. Working with vulnerable populations is a common aspect of mental health nursing, and patients’ mental health issues could make them less able to give informed consent. In some situations, getting informed consent could call for extra work, such as involving the patient’s family or legal representatives. As patients may disclose highly private and sensitive information during therapy sessions, confidentiality and privacy are equally essential in the field of mental health nursing. The DNP prepared mental health nurse is responsible for making sure that this information is kept private and is only disclosed to healthcare workers who need to know and who are involved in the patient’s care.
In conclusion, while the moral concerns of autonomy, knowledge of risk, discretion, and privacy are Mental health nursing may provide difficulties because of the patients’ particular vulnerabilities and sensitivities, which is pertinent to all DNP-prepared nurses. To establish trust with their patients and advance good health outcomes, mental health nurses must traverse these ethical dilemmas as they strive to deliver high-quality care.
NURS 8002 Week 10 Discussion: Ethics and the DNP-Prepared Nurse
Doctoral level-prepared nurses play an essential role in addressing the actual and potential health needs of their communities. They collaborate with the community members to identify the resources that can be used to optimize their health outcomes. The nurses also promote change to ensure continuous improvement in the implementation of initiatives to enhance their health. Therefore, this blog examines the most important challenges in my community, their importance, and practice interventions that can be implemented to address them.
Challenges
One of the most important challenges in my community is the rise in lifestyle diseases. There has been a rise in the rate of lifestyle diseases including diabetes, obesity, overweight, and hypertension in the community. The rise is attributed to the minimal engagement of the community members in healthy lifestyles and behaviors that include healthy diets and active physical activity. The problem affects mostly the young and middle-aged populations (Sathe & Hiwale, 2020). The population’s predisposition is linked to its increased access to un