The principles of nursing are a form of ethical rules that govern how health practitioners conduct themselves, make decisions, and treat their patients and peers in their practice. The principle of justice dictates that health practitioners and institutions should try to maintain fairness in care and equal distribution of available resources (Stievano & Tschudin, 2019). The healthcare industry continually experiences instances whereby resources available are not enough to cater to the needs of the public. Health facilities must provide quality care while still achieving cost effective goals; for example, patients A, B, and C arrive at the hospital with the same condition. Patient A comes in earlier with minor symptoms, patient B comes in later than A with more complications, and patient C comes in to collect medication. The nurse should decide how to cater to all patients in such a case, especially when staff is limited. The nurse should also consider the resources, such as medication available in the hospital at the time, and how to distribute them.
The principle of veracity necessitates the importance of health practitioners practicing honesty with their patients (Rainer et al., 2018). An example of a scenario is when the physician tells a sick patient they are about to die. Unfortunately, individuals are inclined to make promises and evade the truth most of the time. This principle states that being truthful with patients is moral and demonstrates respect. Ethical principles in nursing are important as they serve as a moral compass for individuals in healthcare. These principles help physicians assess and work through difficult situations fairly while providing high quality care. These principles also help institutions avoid losses from lawsuits. The American Nursing Association (ANA) (Jacoby & Scruth, 2017) is responsible for creating and implementing these principles.
References
Jacoby, S. R., & Scruth, E. A. (2017). Negligence and the nurse. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 31(4), 183-185. https://doi.org/10.1097/nur.0000000000000301
Rainer, J., Schneider, J. K., & Lorenz, R. A. (2018). Ethical dilemmas in nursing: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(19-20), 3446-3461. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.14542
Stievano, A., & Tschudin, V. (2019). The ICN code of ethics for nurses: A time for revision. International Nursing Review, 66(2), 154-156. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12525
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