Nursing Ethics Question 2022

Running head: NURSING ETHICS
NURSING ETHICS
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Question 1:
The case study represents the pregnancy of 15 years old Jessica who had been brought to
the emergency department after fainting during a cross country. While the patients do not want
her mother to know about pregnancy, her mother must know about adolescent pregnancy
because Jessica was unaware of the consequences. In this case, Sam (registered nurse) is required
to address the ethical issues regarding disclosure of the information to the parent. Lennings
(2015), highlighted that when health professional’s care for a young person deprived of the
presence of a parent, young person’s capability to deliver consent to the recommended medical
treatment must be assessed and in case of serious health issues, the involvement of parents must
be encouraged. However, according to Australian law reform commission, it is required to obtain
consent from the patient regarding disclosure of information and if the patient refuses to
disclose, the professionals must not disclose the information since it is legal principle of nurses
(Australian law reform commission 2019). As consent respect ethical principle of nursing which
is autonomy of the patient. Hence, two ethical issues that must be addressed by Sam include 1)
not informing mother regarding the health condition of her pregnant child 2) disclosing the
information without the consent of the child. Sam is required to know how to act for the best
interest of Jessica while respecting the decision of Jessica.
Question 2:
While providing care for the mature minor who is experiencing the adolescent
pregnancy, considering ethical and legal principles are the duty of care of health professionals
(Bird 2019). If there are reproductive health problems experienced by adolescents as observed in
this case study, that are restricted to adolescents which cannot be solved, there is a moral duty of
beneficence as well as justice to do appropriate research to address these problems (Bird 2019).
According to the NMBA code of ethics, core nursing ethics include justice, beneficence, non-
maleficence, accountability, autonomy, and veracity (New South Wales government of health
2019) hence, while providing care to Jessica, Sam, the registered nurse may experience ethical
conflicts between beneficence and non-maleficence.
First, the wellbeing of Jessica can be compromised if proper care will not provide by
Sam. In this case, Sam obliged to provide the best possible care to the patient considering the

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ethics of nursing practice such as beneficence (Gates et al. 2016). However, Sam must assess
the ability of Jessica to provide informed consent by considering factors such as maturity of the
young person, the capacity to understand as well as appreciate the consequence of medical
treatment, in this case, and the priority of the present issue (Www.alrc.gov.au 2019). If it
involves sensitive health concern as observed in this case study that Jessica was not aware of
what to do with the child, then the parental involvement is required to encourage for the best
interest of the child under Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998 (New
South Wales government of health 2019). In this case, Sam is obliged to provide the best
treatment against her wish because she is minor, by doing non-maleficence and justice to Jessica
(Alderson 2017). However, according to New South Wales policy, a child aged 14 years and
above may consent to their care if they can understand the nature and consequences of the
treatment and if the mature minor desires the treatment to remain private, professionals must
respect as well as maintain that confidentiality (New South Wales government of health 2019).
In this case, preserving the confidentiality and autonomy of the child for the non-maleficence is
part of the nursing ethics and not respecting the autonomy of the patient may subject patient in
other potential harms (Lamont, Stewart & Chiarella 2019). Hence, for disclosing the information
of Jessica to her mother regarding the health concern, Sam may violate the ethical principle such
as the autonomy of the patients.
Question 3:
Considering the situation above, it is a legal obligation of health professionals to provide
best possible care to the patient for the best interest of the patient, without or with the consent of
the patient to promote beneficence and non-maleficence (Kemp 2016). In this case, two options
are available to Sam concerning the ethical problem. These options are the following:
1) Sam is required to act according to the best interest of Jessica even if Sam has to require to
act against the will of the patient as it is the ethical, professional and legal responsibility of the
patients (Numminen et al. 2015). The case study highlighted that after long interrogation with
Jessica, Sam identified that Jessica was unaware of the fact what do with the suspected
pregnancy to gather the individuals. Hence, Sam is required to provide best possible care to the
patient for the best interest of the patients (beneficence) and to provide the best possible care to
the patient, Sam is required to involve mother and obtain consent from her mother. According to