Ethical Decision Making Assessment 2022

“Faculty of Health Sciences”
“Assessment 2 - Ethical Decision Making”
“Name of the Student”
“Student ID”
“Name of the University”
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“Faculty of Health Sciences”
“Assessment 2 - Ethical Decision Making”
1. Introduction
Violence and aggression are an environment in which health workers often feel insecure.
An aggressive, abusive or violent patient may be uncomfortable. But in acute medical
conditions, it is more probable that this abnormal behaviour is due to a mental or
emotional condition, or both (Connell, Brazier, O’Cathain, Lloyd-Jones & Paisley, 2012).
We can presume that the irregular behaviour of the patient is the manifestation of mental
agony or unsatisfactory needs. By knowing why they are created, identifying the need
and attempting to anticipate or satisfy it we can control or prevent such situation to occur.
The challenging behaviour under these circumstances is similar to any other issue,
diagnostic and treatment are the medical strategy while maintaining safety and function
("Overview | Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health
and community settings | Guidance | NICE", 2015). In addition, the person-centric
strategy to emotional and psychological distress understanding and addressing is
necessary. Competent communication, no confrontation, relationship building and
negotiation are the best way to handle situations and avoid harm to take place.
2. Identification of the facts.
The cause for unrest in the patient's behavior consists of a combination of variables
inherent in the patient including personalities, physical symptoms, or serious mental
distress, as well as external variables, e.g. attitudes or behavior of employees and others
("Preventing Workplace Violence: The Occupational and Environmental Health Nurse
Role", 2014). Patients should follow basic behavioral norms in hospitals or nursing
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“Faculty of Health Sciences”
“Assessment 2 - Ethical Decision Making”
homes. Some countries like the US have introduced bills against violence in the nursing
workplace to protect health workers ("House Democrats introduce a bill to protect
millions of health care workers", 2018). In Australia “Prevention of occupational
violence and aggression in the workplace” is being covered through ANMF policy where
nurses and other caregivers are entitled to work free from violence and assault in a
secure and healthy working environment ("Prevention of occupational violence and
aggression in the workplace", 2018). Violence in the workplace leads to lower
effectiveness and productivity of the healthcare system. It has adverse impacts on the
work quality of nurses and their willingness to remain in the work environment can result
in higher rates of stress and absenteeism. This can produce chronic fatigue and
sleeplessness (Khademloo, Moonesi & Gholizade, 2013). If the case is reviewed in terms
of ethics and nursing, the nurse identifies, maintains and improves the workplace's ethical
environment and the working conditions that are conducive to safe, good health care
through individual and collective efforts (RA, 2019).
3. Consent.
The patient is a retired barrister and he is very much well versed with legal matters.
Moreover, he was perfectly normal last night, behaved normally and had a good sleep
during the night. The healthcare professionals including physicians and nurses need to
provide the proper counselling. The patient could not take the right decision at that
specific time. In the event of patients who are incapable of making choices, substitute
decision-makers are provided for. This implies that anyone acting in compliance with the
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“Faculty of Health Sciences”
“Assessment 2 - Ethical Decision Making”
delegation of power as a duly-empowered substitute decision-maker has to act. Since this
delegation is eventually based on the principle of equality and justice, it implies that
alternative decision-makers must take action within the parameters of the equality and
justice ("Ethics for healthcare professionals informatics", 2016). Therefore, it should only
work as a replacement decision-maker for someone who makes health care choices that
conform to existent held values of the incompetent one (Dresser, 2014).
4. Legal Issues
As the patient cannot make a correct decision, the hospital must resort to legal
alternatives to continue medical treatment. The hospital has to take opinion from
surrogate decision-maker on behalf of the patient who should be appointed legally (e.g.
court-ordered guardian) or next kin (if no prior directive is in place) (White et al., 2017).
The provision is supported by the Australian Charter of Health Rights which the
Australian Commission on Health Care Safety and Quality established and adopted by all
the Health Ministers in 2008. These rights are vital to guarantee that all individuals, in all
Australian medical conditions ("Australian Charter of Health Rights", 2009), are
provided with secure and good quality care. There is a separate law in each State and
territory of Australia to monitor the appointment of an alternate decision-maker for
adolescents 18 years and older. The main laws in Victoria are: “Powers of Attorney Act
2014” which may allow an attorney to be appointed for private or monetary matters
("Substitute Decision Taking in Victoria and Law", 2017) and “Guardianship and
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