To Disclose or to Not Disclose Nursing and the Ethics of...

To Disclose or To Not Disclose: Nursing and the Ethics of Nondisclosure in the Dying Patient Kally L. Price Samuel Merritt University Abstract In nursing, the practice of nondisclosure is an ethical issue that calls into question the founding principles of trust, integrity, and autonomy in the nurse-patient relationship. Although the decision of nondisclosure to the terminal patient is the physicians, the nurse must follow and support this decision. The right of the patient to have control over their own healthcare information, and their right to know their diagnosis and prognosis and make treatment decisions are supported by the American Hospital Association, The Patient Self Determination Act, which requires education on†¦show more content†¦For centuries, physicians believed that disclosure of the terminal nature of an illness would cause the patients condition to decline (Krisman-Scott, 2000). However, Kubler-Ross and Glaser and Strauss methodically studied dying patients and found that while the patients first reaction to a terminal diagnosis is adverse, it later shifts to a more positive view. Additionall y, Feifels 1960s study of 60 dying patients found that 82% would like to be made aware about their health information and diagnosis (Krisman-Scott, 2000). ii. Thesis The nurses relationship with the patient is based on trust. In the Gallup poll for the last 8 years, nurses were selected as the most trustworthy professionals (Jones, 2009), showing that American society on the whole trusts nurses. When a nurse is caring for a terminal patient, the nurse witnesses patients health growing progressively worse. Under nondisclosure, the nurse must maintain the guise that there is hope for recovery (Krisman-Scott, 2000). The nurse would be unable to acknowledge or help the patient prepare for the impending death. Even if the dying patient may not be able to move toward better health, they still deserve the same opportunity to prepare themselves (financially, personally and spiritually and interpersonal) and their loved ones for their death. The purpose of this paper is to outline som e of the ethical issues surrounding nondisclosure in theShow MoreRelatedThe Code Of Ethics For Nurses1110 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction Nursing is a career that is governed by a set of ethical principles. The duties of a nurse consist of care and support and its important that nurses are aware of their professional ethics. These principles are put into place to uphold and maintain moral values in healthcare. The American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics for nurses consists of nine provisions, outlined in the Code of Ethics for nurses with Interpretive Statements. These provisions are constructed to blueprintRead MoreProfessional Code Of Conduct : An Ethical Approach1419 Words   |  6 Pagesapproach in Nursing The health care system consists of broad spectrums which construct opportunities to provide quality care to their clients. These opportunities are influenced by society and technology consisted demands for streamline processes in health care. Those streamline processes focus on the review of professional code of conduct subjected to an overall mandate of regulations. In particular, regulations pertaining to health care ethics. For this purpose, health care ethics involve principles