A significant problem in healthcare is preventing the death of patients. The preventable mortality rate among hospitalized patients is high enough to cause problems in the medical system (Rodwin et al., 2020). In this regard, it is necessary to investigate the factors that may influence the decision-making contrary to the wishes of patients, which in some cases could lead to their death. These consequences are a severe problem that could have been avoided with better ethics. Associated risks are also substantial in making decisions that can directly affect the patient’s life. Nurses play a significant role in this context, as they can influence the current situation. The patient’s desire must take precedence over what the doctor may want to prescribe, and in connection with this, a comprehensive observance of the principle of joint decision is necessary.
Nurses play a vital role in validating patients’ wishes and managing possible side risks. In order to understand the problems and preferences of clients, nurses must establish effective communication with them that will help identify patients’ desires and aspirations. An essential part of the nurse’s responsibility is to educate patients about the risks associated with preventable mortality and treatment options. In this way, it can help people make the right informed decisions that will positively affect the further course of treatment. Nurses must advocate for and promote the health, rights, and decision-making power of patients (Abbasinia et al., 2020). Thus, nurses must know for sure that the patient is informed about their condition and has all the necessary information to make a decision.
The situation has developed around a patient whose doctor canceled their desire to undergo treatment. Clients of medical institutions have the right to participate in their treatment and make decisions related to the recovery process. In such cases, reversing their decision can negatively affect the relationship of trust with the healthcare provider and generate negative patient opinions. The social consequences of rejecting a patient’s decision can have a significant impact on public trust in a clinic. People will not be able to fully use the services of doctors knowing that their opinions are not taken into account. As such, the economic impact could have a significant negative impact due to customer churn. Negative consequences are a severe threat that can significantly prevent doctors from fulfilling their duties in the future. In addition, when refusing a patient’s choice, nurses should consider their impact on the individual, their family, and society (Iserson, 2020). Therefore, before canceling any decision of the patient, it is necessary to analyze the situation in order to identify potential negative consequences.
Ethical norms and rules for nurses are necessary to ensure that all obligations are carried out correctly. The Code of Ethics for Nurses can be a supporting document that defines how a nurse should act in a particular situation (ICN, 2021). To make responsible decisions that may affect a patient’s life, nurses must collaborate with the client and other healthcare professionals, as strengthening and caring for the client’s health is paramount (Stievano & Tschudin, 2019). Thus, in order to approve the final treatment plan, nurses must actively discuss the situation with other staff to obtain a different qualified opinion. The Code of Ethics specifies that nurses must respect the autonomy of patients and take their decisions into account accordingly (ICN, 2021). Thus, it is vital to give people the opportunity to choose, as this directly affects their independence. The patient’s decision must be respected and taken into account before providing care.
In the future, for similar situations of refusal of the patient’s decision to undergo treatment, the consequences and lessons learned should be taken into account. Healthcare providers must place great emphasis on the safety and health of patients, making their wishes a critical aspect of treatment. Healthcare professionals must correctly and competently assess all possible risks in order to minimize the possibility of preventable mortality (Rodwin et al., 2020). In addition, healthcare providers must communicate effectively with patients and provide them with complete information about their health status so that they can make decisions. Health professionals must work with each other to be able to provide the highest quality care based on medical standards.
The nurse plays a big role in fulfilling the wishes of the patient due to frequent communication. Because of the close bond with the patient, the nurse may experience moar pains because they were unable to help. The moral residue plaguing the nurse is a common health problem among medical staff. In this case, the nurse may feel guilty, anxious, or ashamed about her role in the patient’s preventable mortality. Moral residual refers to the ethical responsibility that healthcare professionals may experience when they feel they have not fully met their moral obligations (Morley et al., 2020). Thus, in this case, the residue may appear due to insufficient attention paid to the patient and due to the lack of consultation with other members of the medical team regarding the patient.
In conclusion, it should be noted that in the field of healthcare, the desires of patients and their fulfillment are essential aspects of work that cannot be ignored. Nurses play an important role in considering and taking into account the wishes of patients because they have to spend a lot of time with them. Properly established communication, in this case, can contribute to a significant improvement in treatment outcomes due to better recognition of needs. In addition, it is a necessary duty to inform the client about their state of health. In this way, it will be possible to avoid making the wrong decision and provide better care.
References
Abbasinia, M., Ahmadi, F., & Kazemnejad, A. (2020). Patient advocacy in nursing: A concept analysis. Nursing ethics, 27(1), 141-151. Web.
ICN. (2021). The ICN code of ethics for nurses. Web.
Iserson, K. V. (2020). Healthcare ethics during a pandemic. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 21(3), 477. Web.
Morley, G., Bradbury-Jones, C., & Ives, J. (2020). What is ‘moral distress’ in nursing? A feminist empirical bioethics study. Nursing Ethics, 27(5), 1297-1314. Web.
Rodwin, B. A., Bilan, V. P., Merchant, N. B., Steffens, C. G., Grimshaw, A. A., Bastian, L. A., & Gunderson, C. G. (2020). Rate of preventable mortality in hospitalized patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of general internal medicine, 35(7), 2099–2106. Web.
Stievano, A., & Tschudin, V. (2019). The ICN code of ethics for nurses: a time for revision. International nursing review, 66(2), 154-156. Web.