The first people affected by the patient’s decisions are the family members. Even though the patient has a malignant intestinal tumor, it is complex to understand why the patient does not want to be resuscitated. They are stressed and pressuring the nurses to do everything to keep their loved one alive. The health practitioners decide not to resuscitate the patient because they respect their autonomy. The relatives may not understand this concept and thus may deem the nurses ignorant and not doing their best to save their loved one’s life. Nurses should not try to manipulate a patient’s decision but educate them. They are responsible for counseling patients and that patients have the appropriate information that will assist them in making the appropriate decisions about their health.
The health code of ethics entails nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and respect for autonomy. In some instances, nurses find themselves in a dilemma where they may go against one or more of these codes of ethics. The health workers may show they understand and apply nonmaleficence by avoiding careless patient management. In this instance, not resuscitating the patient may put the health personnel in an ethical dilemma as they may feel they are neglecting the patient. Beneficence, described as acts of compassion and generosity, demands the nurse to take the initiative for the patient’s well-being. Health practitioners may feel they are going against the principle of beneficence if they do not resuscitate the cardiac arrest patient. Other nurses may feel they are not doing justice for the family members when they fail to resuscitate the dying patient. However, above all, the patient’s principle of autonomy must be respected. The nurses will not resuscitate the patient even if the family pressures the health personnel.
The right to make choices about one’s health care, even if those choices run counter to the advice of one’s healthcare providers, is central to patient autonomy. The patient’s decision not to be resuscitated counters the will of family members, and thus they are pressuring the nurses to do their best to ensure their patient does not die. Patients should be allowed to participate in decisions about their treatment plans. Putting the patient in charge of their healthcare choices benefits the patient. In their decisions, patients should have information about a proposed treatment’s potential dangers and benefits and other acceptable options, including doing nothing. The health workers will respect the patient’s autonomy and do no intervention to save the patient’s life.
A patient’s autonomy is typically the top concern in nursing ethics. While the goal of this autonomy is protecting patients from medical professional coercion, it overlooks the fact that a patient is often a family member. It is regular practice and generally accepted for patients to seek advice from loved ones when making critical medical decisions. Consequently, considering patient’s autonomy entails respecting the patient’s will and decision-making, even if the conclusion is to defer to the patient’s family’s wishes. Although clinicians are the target audience for reminders to respect patient autonomy, patients are not immune to being coerced, persuaded, or manipulated by loved ones. Thus in this circumstance, the patient may be forced by the family members to change his decision if cardiac arrest occurs. Even though it may be hard, relatives must be educated to understand the importance of autonomy. It will help reduce the relatives from compelling the nurses to take interventions against the patient.