GENERAL ETHICS

General ethics



General ethics

This assignment will talk about and investigate an ethical dilemma I came across while on placement from a lawful, professional and ethical perspective. In alignment to maintain patient and employees confidentiality all names and places have been altered (Nursing, Midwifery assembly (NMC) 2002) thus my persevering will be mentioned to as Robert.

Robert is a sixty four year vintage man obtaining chemotherapy for his Hodgkinsons lymphoma cancer. all through his remedy, Robert stayed hopeful that the chemotherapy would cure his cancer and was looking ahead to going home. However, due to his condition, Robert was unable to control his own body temperature; potentially this may mean the chemotherapy had been unsuccessful therefore, further tests were carried out. Prior to the test results, Roberts wife Sue approached myself and my mentor and stated that should the test results reveal 'bad news' Robert was not to be told as she felt he would give up all hope of a cure. Buckman (1988) states that 'bad news' alters the patient's perception of their own future both contrary and drastically. Robert's wife furthermore informed us that former to his admission she had tried to engage and talk about the likelihood of the chemotherapy not employed with Robert, although he had refused to even consider the outlook and was assured he would be cured. Alexander, Fawcett, & Runciman, (2001) state that it is not odd for relations to inquire the advisor to deny information. Kenworthy, Snowley, and Gilling (2002) believe that such requests from relatives are made out of compassion and love. However, Rumbold (2002) argues that it is often the relatives who feel unable to cope and have difficulty in coming to terms with impending death once the diagnosis is out in the open. This is supported by Dimond (2005) who believes that withholding the truth leads to a conspiracy of silence and quite often, it is the relative's inability to cope with the patient knowing the prognosis.

My mentor advised Sue that she would discuss the situation with Robert's Consultant once they had received the results of his tests. However, my mentor diplomatically informed Sue that unfortunately from a legal perspective she has no legal right to insist that information be kept from Robert, she did however promise to discuss it with Roberts's consultant (Dimond, 2005).

Prior to the results of the tests I recalled the conversation my mentor ...