Hiding information from a patient does not always undermine truthfulness or violate the principle of truth. Sometimes patients demand that the information not be disclosed. Physicians are sometimes asked to make decisions for patients without providing relevant information. Normally, the respect of such requests does not violate any essential ethical principle: neither autonomy, nor truth, nor charity [6]. According to Korsch and Harding, “the information a doctor gives to a patient should be toned down by who the patient is and what they are willing to hear.” In addition, many contextual variables – doctor, patient, condition, time frame, need for privacy, patient expectations, complexity of the disease, impact of the disease, and nature of the interaction – influence the exchange of information [15]. Therefore, clinical judgment is always necessary, because in some cases, even a reluctant and intimidated patient who asks not to be informed needs to know certain truths. Not knowing can be a serious danger to oneself or others, and if it does, the patient`s request not to disclose information cannot be respected because it violates the fundamental principles of charity and non-malevolence [6]. An interdisciplinary team of people whose job it is to hear about the ethical dilemmas in that hospital or institution, and who will see all the pages, will look at the literature and what is very important to know – and you will find that we are inserting here a symbol of a key point – it is very important to know that the ethics committee does not force decisions; They simply offer a recommendation. There are many models of ethical decision-making that help organize the individual`s thoughts. Some are quite simple, for example, the model of the tilt factor.

In nursing, the ethical principle of loyalty means being faithful or loyal, which means keeping promises made to patients. For example, a nurse who told her patient that he would come back in 30 minutes to check his pain would come back or delegate someone else to come back if he was tied up. So when we talk about ethics, there`s something you need to know called an ethical dilemma. And an ethical dilemma is essentially just a conflict of values that causes distress. So it could be something that is for the nurse, for the family, for the patient himself. An ethical dilemma is a conflict of values that causes suffering and controversy, and in nursing practice, it could be for the patient`s nurse, patient, or family. We`re going to give you an example here on the map, but there are so many ways to have an ethical dilemma, and that`s whenever there`s a conflict or disagreement between what the family wants and the patient, or what the doctor thinks, is in the best interest of the patient, that kind of thing. So you`ll hear that over and over again in nursing school, because it`s important to know what we do when we have an ethical dilemma? However, autonomy does not nullify liability. Health care is a partnership between the provider and recipient of care. Each owes the other a position of partner and respect in healthcare decision-making (Veatch, 2016). An ethical guarantee is that the doctor or other health professional cannot make a unilateral decision on health care without the consent of that competent adult or emancipated minor.

So what is the American Nurses Association? You will hear what is called the ANA. You will be the group that sets the ethical standards of nursing for a nursing profession. So keep in mind that we talked about the Nursing Act. That is the scope of the practice. The ANA, it kind of seems that they are responsible for it, but that is not the case. They set the ethical standard for nurses. In nursing, the ethical principle of charity simply means promoting the good. For example, if a patient has been in the hospital for weeks, a nurse who is charitable can take them outside to get some fresh air. Respect for autonomy requires that patients be informed of the truth about their condition and the risks and benefits of treatment so that they can make informed decisions. According to the law, they are allowed to refuse treatment, even if the best and most reliable information suggests that treatment would be beneficial, unless their action could negatively affect the well-being of another person. These conflicts open the door to ethical dilemmas.

Case managers can be accused of malice by omission if they have not properly coordinated a patient`s care – for example, by referring a patient to an inappropriate level of care or leaving a patient in a dangerous life situation. A key role for the case manager is to be an advocate for the patient, and neglecting this role could be malicious. An unethical act of ordering could be to break confidentiality by publishing information that becomes detrimental to the patient. An example of an ethical dilemma you might encounter in your nursing career is this: the daughter of an intubated patient with terminal cancer doesn`t want her mother to receive opioid painkillers for religious reasons, even though she suffers a lot. What is this ethical situation: a problem, an emergency, a dilemma, a temptation or a silence? It refers to a complete, accurate and objective transmission of information, as well as how the professional promotes the understanding of patients or subjects. In this respect, truthfulness is closely linked to respect for autonomy [1]. Bacon`s comment that “knowledge is power, but honesty is authority” is especially true for physicians.[7] Health professionals need more awareness and training to improve their truthfulness ethics and communication skills, especially in the context of publishing bad news to tell the patient the truth about the diagnosis, treatment outcomes and prognosis of a serious illness; Such skills have been found to improve the doctor-patient relationship, satisfaction with care, and patient health outcomes.