Ethical Dilemma Faced by Nurses in Providing Medication to Dementia Patients

Running head: TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 1 1
Transition to Professional Practice 1
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TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 1 2
Introduction
Nurses are subjected with intricate issues in relation to their practises. The code of ethics
can act as a fundamental mode of guidance within nursing profession. Nevertheless, Twigg,
Pugh, Gelderand Myers(2016), pointed out the fact that there are international codes of nursing,
the national code is often perceived as it provides additional assistance and help nurses with their
additional role of care and even educating the patient. In similar regards, it can be stated a
national code of nursing can provide the nurses with guidance that can be adapted as per their
culture. Identifying the general acknowledgement of the need to abide by ICN, a joint code was
compiled and properly communicated to the professionals.
Focus of the current assignment is based on the perspective on how nurses should
behave ethically and the decision they should make when confronted with dilemma. The codes
of practise can further help in reducing the potential barriers and make sure how even the
smallest things can act as a moral or even ethical obligation while being in the profession of
nursing. The assignment makes use of MORAL model of ethical framework for addressing the
potential issues in regards to nursing and related practises
Reflection about the incidents and health standards
MASSAGE THE DILEMMA
My profession as a nurse is really challenging and it becomes increasingly important for
me to keep in demands of the patients. During my professional tenure I was often made to watch
over the dementia patients. Things tend to get a bit messy when old peoplerefuse to consume the
provided medications. I was often a witness to the never ending nonchalant refusing to take their
medication and crying to protest the same. However, I feel that it takes a bit more than normal

TRANSITION TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 1 3
patience to cope with the never ending wishes of older adults. One such incident that I witnessed
was an adult refusing to take his medication as he complained that medicine may hurt him as he
found it difficult to swallow. I was faced with confusion on how to provide the medication to the
patient as he was reluctant in consuming medication. I thought of understanding the perspective
of the patient and even thought about the potential problems faced by the individual. My
colleagues advised me to coax the medication; as we have other tasks to attend and sticking with
one patient can neglect the care provision for another. However, Martin, Jones & Wolfe (2017)
pointed the fact forcing administration of medication can do more harm than good; the
medication can get have adverse impactand create adverse conditions. I felt that forcing the
patient to take the medicine is not right. It is for the same reason I mixed the medication with ice-
cream for making it more palatable.
Based on the ICN code of ethics for nurses, it is important to understand the fact that
nursing in addition to care is inclusive of respecting human rights (icn.ch, 2018).The right to
refuse medication is justified on the part of patient. In similar regards, it would be fair enough to
state that right to be treated with dignity is part of my professional ethics (Jones et al. 2018).
Thus, I did not violate the rights of forcing the medication as it is against the ethics. In similar
regards, I did abide by the ethics of ICN code of practise from provision 1 for treating patients
with dignity
OUTLINE THE OPTIONS
There remains no doubt that hiding the medicine in tasty food is an age old tradition for
convincing the older patients. Initially, I was highly confused as it was my first time with anold
patient refusing to take medications. I previously worked with older patients with proper mental
health condition and I did feel the same situation with them. However, in the case of former I