This assignment reinforces the importance of ethical decision-making in nursing. You will apply an ethical decision making model from this week’s readings to an ethical issue.
Review “An Integrated Ethical-Decision-Making Model for Nurses” (In the attached PDF file)
Apply the ethical decision-making model in the article to access to care or an ethical issue of your choice.
Follow the steps provided in the model, including the following:
- State the ethical issue and its relevance for nursing practice.
- Collect and analyze additional information:
- What populations does this serve?
- Who are the key stakeholders?
- What information is needed to overcome the problem?
- After looking at additional information, decide whether the initial problem was correctly stated.
- Develop alternatives and compare them:
- What alternative programs address the issues?
- Justify the decision:
- Explain why this is important, needed, or beneficial for vulnerable populations.
- Find strategies to implement the plan:
- What ethical arguments could you use to dissuade someone who disagrees with the program?
Format your assignment as a 900 word document.
Cite at least 3 evidence-based, peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years to support your position(s).
Include an APA-formatted reference list.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
This assignment requires the application of an ethical decision-making model to assess an ethical issue in nursing. The purpose of this assignment is to reinforce the importance of ethical decision-making in nursing practice and to provide an opportunity for students to develop their critical thinking skills. In addition, the assignment requires students to use evidence-based, peer-reviewed sources to support their position on the ethical issue under discussion.
Answer:
The ethical issue that will be assessed in this assignment is access to care, which is a critical problem in healthcare today. Access to care refers to the ability of individuals to access healthcare services when needed. The relevance of this issue for nursing practice is that it affects the health outcomes of patients and their access to life-saving interventions. Patients who lack access to care experience a higher burden of illness, have poorer health outcomes, and have a higher risk of mortality compared to those who have adequate access to care.
To assess the ethical issue of access to care, the model proposed by Andrews et al (2018) will be followed. The first step in the model is to state the ethical issue and its relevance for nursing practice. As stated earlier, the ethical issue under assessment is access to care, which is relevant to nursing practice because it impacts the quality of care provided to patients.
The second step in the model is to collect and analyze additional information. In the case of access to care, the following information should be collected and analyzed to overcome the problem: what populations lack access to care, who are the key stakeholders, and what information is needed to overcome the problem. Once the additional information has been collected, it is essential to decide whether the initial problem was correctly stated.
The third step in the model is to develop alternatives and compare them. In the case of access to care, alternative programs that address the issues should be developed and compared. For example, improving access to telehealth services, increasing the number of primary care physicians in rural areas, or enhancing health insurance programs can be alternative programs to address access to care.
The fourth step in the model is to justify the decision. In this step, it is essential to explain why the alternative program chosen is important, needed, or beneficial for vulnerable populations such as low-income families, the elderly, or children. Providing evidence-based arguments and data can help to justify the decision.
The fifth and final step in the model is to find strategies to implement the plan. In the case of access to care, ethical arguments that could be used to dissuade someone who disagrees with the program might include demonstrating how the program promotes social justice and fair access to care. Additionally, highlighting how the proposed program enhances health outcomes and reduces health inequities can be an effective strategy when implementing the plan.
In conclusion, the ethical decision-making model proposed by Andrews et al (2018) can be effectively applied to assess ethical issues in nursing practice such as access to care. Nursing professionals must continue to develop their critical thinking skills and use evidence-based, peer-reviewed sources to support their position when addressing ethical issues related to patient care.
