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Biomedical subjects

J A Erlen

Publications and source records attributed to J A Erlen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
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Medication errors: ethical implications.

Errors in health care are receiving much attention today, although committing such errors is not a new phenomenon. Nurses are taught procedures so that they are less likely to make mistakes. Yet nurses do make errors. Although many types of errors can and do occur in the health care setting, this article focuses on a discussion of medication errors and related ethical implications. Several ethical issues may arise as a result of medication errors: harm to patients, whether to disclose the error, erosion of trust, and impact on quality care. Nurses' appropriate ethical responses to medication errors need to be supported. Changing the health care system will help nurses to promote patient welfare, lessen the chance of harm, and reduce the likelihood of medication errors occurring.

Ethics↗
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The nursing shortage, patient care, and ethics.

Although nursing shortages are not new, many nurses consider the present shortage to be different from those in the past. Nurses are again questioning whether patients are receiving the quality of care they deserve. Overwhelmed by this nursing shortage, nurses are trying to reconcile how to fulfill their duties to advocate for good patient care and to warn patients about conditions that are possibly detrimental to their welfare. This article discusses two ethical issues that nurses, in the midst of a nursing shortage, face in their clinical practice: lack of control over their practice and potential for harm to patients and themselves. There is also a description of strategies that nurses can use to promote and maintain an environment within the organization that supports providing good patient care.

Decision Making↗
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Anencephalic infants as sources of organs. Issues and implications for nurses.

This article discusses anencephalic infants as potential sources of organs for infants and young children. Ethical issues relating to screening pregnant women, parental consent for organ donation, and the postnatal care of anencephalic infants are addressed. Professional responsibilities are identified to enable nurses to act ethically when confronted by these issues in caring for mothers and their infants.

Anencephaly↗
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Vaginal birth after cesarean: issues and implications.

Vaginal birth after cesarean is still an uncommon practice in the United States despite fewer contraindications to it. This article examines issues related to cesarean section practice patterns, malpractice, rising health care costs, changing childbearing patterns, and risks and benefits to mother and baby. Implications for nurses are discussed as they relate to nursing education, practice, and research.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
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Culture, ethics, and respect: the bottom line is understanding.

As the world becomes smaller, there is increasing recognition that the world is more culturally diverse. People within a particular group share customs, habits, and values; however, these individuals may share few, if any, beliefs and practices with people from other cultural groups. This increasing cultural diversity raises questions about ways to deliver appropriate and respectful health care to patients from other cultures. This article discusses culture, culture and health care, and respect for culture. There is a description of means that nurses can use to provide culturally relevant care. Ethical practice requires a recognition of one's biases, a sensitivity to cultural differences, the avoidance of generalizations about cultures, and the provision of culturally relevant care.

Cultural Diversity↗
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Incentives in research: ethical issues.

The participation of some subjects in research may be association with their receiving some compensation for their time and effort. Is the use of monetary or other nonmonetary incentives ethical? Do incentives make a study so enticing that it is difficult to resist being a participant? The authors discuss some relevant ethical questions that a researcher needs to address when providing stipends to study subjects. Additionally, there is a discussion of implications for nurses such as acquiring knowledge of research and ethics, creating an environment in which the patient's questions and any issues can be discussed, advocating for the patient who is being asked to participate, and the nurse's responsibilities when asked to help with recruitment efforts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
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The patient no one liked.

Despite professional admonitions to treat patients with dignity and to promote their well being, there are some patients who are unpopular with or not liked by nurses. Caring for these patients presents an ethical challenge for nurses. The purposes of this article are to explore the issue of bias and the use of labels, as well as the subsequent ethical concerns of respecting the uniqueness of the patient and preventing harm when nurses have a negative bias toward and label particular patients. The authors discuss several implications for nursing practice, including engaging in introspection, understanding the "problem" patient, actively involving patients in their care, and evaluating strategies used to eliminate negative bias and labeling.

Agonistic Behavior↗
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What does it mean to blow the whistle?

Whistle blowing causes people to pay attention. An alarm has been sounded drawing attention to a particular set of circumstances. When nurses blow the whistle because of unethical or incompetent colleagues, they are going public with this information. Yet, even though nurses are able to provide an ethical justification for the action, not all will look favorably on what has been done. This article examines the concept of whistle blowing, its relationship to advocacy, and some consequences of whistle blowing. This article provides recommendations for educators, health care agencies, and nurses as ways to support nurses who choose to blow the whistle.

Decision Making↗
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'Conflicts of interest': an ethical dilemma for the nurse researcher.

More nurse researchers are turning to industry as a possible source of funding to support their scientific work. Corporations may be very interested in particular projects because of the fit that exists between the investigator's interest and the company's product. However, researchers need to be cautious since accepting funding from and entering into a financial relationship with industry may lead to "conflicts of interest." The purpose of this article is to discuss the ethical issues when there are conflicts of interest. The author presents recommendations designed to help nurse researchers avoid and address this potential ethical problem.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
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Demystifying ethical decision making.

Ethical dilemmas frequently occur in the practice of orthopaedic nursing. Nurses, however, are often unsure about how to resolve these dilemmas. The language of ethics remains elusive. Yet, because nurses have a central role in patient care, they need to become more comfortable making ethical decisions related to their practice. This article briefly describes the dialectical process of ethical decision making and demonstrates this process by using a case presentation. Readers are encouraged to put themselves into the role of the bedside nurse in the case, determine what they believe to be the right action, and provide a well-grounded rationale for that decision.

Adult↗
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Should the nurse participate in planned deception?

Nurses encounter situations in their practice involving planned deception. A decision has been made that the deception will enhance the patient's welfare. For the deception to work, all who care for the patient must participate. To determine if planned deception is ethical, there is a need to consider ethical concerns related to promoting patient well-being, deception, respect for persons, and truthtelling. Before deciding what they ought to do nurses need to examine the various alternatives that are available.

Beneficence↗
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Technology's seductive power.

Advances in technology suggest new possibilities in health care and have become equated with state-of-the-art health care. The promise of technology has the potential to act as a seductive force luring nurses and other health care providers to use it and luring patients to request it. If nurses become so enchanted with technology, the patient as a person may be overlooked. By focusing on caring and the patient's experience of being ill, nurses can avoid being seduced by and dependent upon the use of technology when providing patient care.

Empathy↗
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An ethical dilemma in the neonatal intensive care unit: providing due care.

We have discussed the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, fidelity, and justice as they relate to a case involving what to do when there are too many sick neonates in an NICU. The use of ethical principles clarified the issues surrounding the shift in power and the decision making. This clarification led to the various short-term and long-term strategies that were designed to resolve the ethical dilemma. In addition, analysis of this case demonstrates that issues related to justice frequently involve the making or the questioning of policy so that all can be treated in a fair way. Providing for individuals in a fair manner reduces the potential for harm. Focusing on ethical principles may serve to deemphasize and diffuse the control and territorial issues that may arise in similar cases. This refocusing will then enable all parties to address their common concern--how to provide due care to sick neonates and their families.

Beneficence↗
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Fear of AIDS, homophobia, and occupational risk for HIV. A staff development challenge.

Nursing is committed to providing quality care; however, nursing practice has been challenged by patients with AIDS. In this pilot study, the authors investigated the relation among nurses' homophobia, fear AIDS, and occupational risk for contracting HIV. With their findings, they found that a positive attitude toward homosexuality, more clinical experience, and more experience with HIV patients contribute to a positive attitude toward AIDS. The authors recommend that staff development programs focus on the affective domain of nursing, universal precautions and infection control, and precepted experiences for new graduates.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
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Ethical issues and the new staff mix.

The role of the professional nurse is changing due to the effects of work redesign programs, downsizing, and the increasing use of unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Nurses recognize that they cannot provide all aspects of the patient's care; however, nurses generally lack the knowledge and skill to delegate effectively. If nurses cannot delegate appropriate tasks to others, mistrust those to whom they are delegating tasks, and show limited respect toward UAP when delegating and supervising their work, there is the distinct possibility that patients will not receive quality care. The authors examine the ethical issues of respect for persons, trust, and promoting patient well-being, as well as the nursing issues related to accountability and responsibility when delegating care. There are several recommendations provided to enable nurses to reduce the threat of compromised patient care created by this new staff mix.

Clinical Competence↗
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Quality of life, ethical decisions, and the patient's story.

Advances in health care technology have the potential to increase longevity and relieve suffering. However, not all people will benefit; the quality of their lives may not be better. Consequently, use of this advanced technology creates ethical situations for health care providers and their patients. Quality of life becomes a key factor to consider; yet, this is an illusive idea. Since quality of life is subjective, multidimensional, and contextual, there is a need to hear the patient's story. What is important to the individual patient and produces the most satisfaction for the patient should become the primary criteria to consider when these ethical situations arise.

Decision Making↗
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Ethical questions inherent in compliance.

Promoting patient compliance is considered to be good clinical practice. However, compliance conveys a sense of being submissive or obedient to another; therefore, promoting compliance becomes a paternalistic action. The author uses a clinical situation to demonstrate some of the ethical questions related to compliance (i.e., who decides, who knows best, and how noncompliant patients are treated) and discusses these questions using the ethical precepts of doing no harm and respecting autonomy.

Aged↗