Relational Ethics Assignment Essay

As advocates of patients, nurses experience ethical dilemmas, which require them to according to their professional guidelines and code of conduct. Ethical dilemmas are usually complex and require the application of ethical frameworks in their resolution. According to Canadian Association of Nurses (2008), ethical frameworks are essential in since they guide and direct nurses on how to make ethical decisions and arrive at favorable solutions, which comply with the code of ethics and nursing standards of practice. Effective resolution of ethical dilemmas is dependent on the ability of nurses to apply ethical frameworks in line with the code of ethics and standards of practice (Bach, Ploeg, & Black, 2009; Ellen, & Kulig, 2012). Essentially, nurses must make ethical decisions in a professional manner to avert unethical acts of commission and omission. Therefore, this essay examines ethical dilemmas associated with and applies the ethical decision making framework (EDMF) in conducting effective, informed, ethical, and professional nursing response.

The Ethical Decision Making Framework
Assessing and Describing the Situation
The case study (appendix A) presents an ethical dilemma of end-of-life care. MacLeod, Wilson, and Malpas (2012) argue that the end-of-life care presents complex ethical dilemmas, which require systemic resolution. The dilemma requires the intervention of nurses because the interests of family members differ in the aspects of the treatment that the father requires. Oncologists and nurses had assessed the condition of Smith and found that the use of was fruitless because lung cancer had reached a stage where it was a terminal illness. While his wife supports the application of the advance directive, children have consented that it is futile to to sustain the life of their father. The children told the nurses not to inform their parents about the terminal condition because it would traumatize them. Hence, the ethical values involved here are truthfulness, client choice, respect for life, client well-being, and privacy and confidentiality. According to College of Nurses Ontario (2009), patients have right to obtain the right information about their condition, but the extent of disclosure varies according to the potential harm of the information. In this case, nurses have to determine whether to inform the parents about the terminal condition and futility of life-support machine.

The ethical dilemmas in the case study have numerous other ethical values. In handling ethical dilemmas, nurses should ensure that they consider client choice, respect for life by preserving human dignity, promote well-being of patients, and treat any information with appropriate privacy and confidentiality (Canadian Association of Nurses, 2008). In this view, nurses should consider the advance directive as an expression of client choice, well-being of the patient by providing the best care, and respect for human life and dignity by promoting quality of life. Additionally, nurses should treat divergent views as private and confidential information to avert conflicts in the family. Fundamentally, nurses have to assess if the advance directive is rational and effective in improving well-being and quality of life (Halpern, Loewenstein, Volpp, & Cooney, 2013). Two possible ways of resolving the dilemmas are to inform his wife about the terminal condition and futility of life-support system with a view of not adhering to the advance directive or adhere to the advance directive by not informing the wife about the terminal illness and futility of life-support machine to avoid traumatizing her.