RCSI: Reflective Essay on Nursing and Midwifery Values & Ethics

This essay provides a reflective account of key concepts in nursing practice, including the importance of reflective practice itself as a tool for lifelong learning and improvement. It delves into the role of healthcare technologies in enhancing treatment and community health. Ethical considerations are also explored, specifically focusing on informed consent, end-of-life ethics such as euthanasia, and the critical importance of patient confidentiality. The essay concludes with a discussion of managerial ethics in nursing, highlighting the responsibilities of nurse managers in promoting ethical practice and ensuring patient safety. This document is available on Desklib, a platform offering a variety of study resources for students.

Running head: REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
Reflection in nursing:
Reflective practice is one of the best ways of gaining insights about different strengths
and weakness from experiences gained in the workplace. Thereby, it acts as a life-long learning
tool that helps individuals to learn from experiences and help in improving the ways they work.
Reflective practice can be defined as the process of making sense of events and situations and
actions in the workplace. It helps in enhancing personal development by developing the skill of
self-awareness (Walker et al., 2016). It helps in improvement of patient care as well as better
teamwork. it also helps in identification of skills essential for smooth flow of work in regular
nursing practices by expanding and developing clinical knowledge and skills (Redmond et al.,
2017). I realized that it can help by demonstrating everyday learning and I have found it useful
for processing my thoughts after a critical incident. Reflection can be done in four important
stages which might involve “in the moment”, “looking back”, “looking again” and also “moving
on”. Most of the universities specialized in nursing courses have included reflective practices in
their curriculums. This helps nursing students to develop the habit or conducting reflective
practices so that they can engage in lifelong learning thereby constantly upgrading themselves
with better skills and knowledge required for maintaining safety and quality care for patients.
Healthcare technologies:
Healthcare technology can be explained as the application of the organized knowledge
and skills in the form of medicines, devices, vaccines, procedures as well as systems that are
developed for solving a health problem and improve the quality of lives. I have learnt that
healthcare technologies can be extremely helpful in developing future therapies like they can
help in supporting the development of novel therapies with technologies for enhancing efficacy,

2
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
minimization of costs and reduction of the risks of patients. Healthcare technologies can also
help in frontiers of physical intervention. By this, it means that healthcare technologies can help
in restoring function and optimization of the surgery and other physical interventions for
achieving high precision with minimal invasiveness (Rouleau et al., 2015). I also believe that
healthcare technologies have the capability of optimizing treatments. It can help by optimizing
care through effective diagnosis as well as patient-specific prediction and evidence based
interventions. Healthcare technologies would also play a great role in transforming community
health and care. These methods can utilize real-time information for supporting self-
management of health and well-being as well as in facilitation of timely interventions (Guo et al.,
2016). One interesting feature which made me impressed was the utilization of robotics in
healthcare. These help by relieving medical personnel from routine tasks that take more time
away from more pressing responsibilities. It also helps professionals by making medical
procedures not only safer but also less expensive for the patients. They are also seen to perform
accurate surgery in different tiny places and transporting dangerous substances.
End of Life ethics:
Informed consent can be described as the ethical procedures where nurses are expected to
discuss the treatment options available to the patients in details and discuss the various pros and
cons associated with the treatment. It entirely depends on the patient the treatment option that the
patient chooses and the nursing professionals have no right to force her or to coerce her with
their own suggestions (Bollig et al., 2016). I have realized that taking informed consent is one of
the main ways by exhibiting respect for the autonomy and dignity of the patients. Patients have
the complete rights about their own lives and they can thereby choose what they want to do with
their life or how they want to lead their rights. In such a situation, every nurses need to respect

3
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
the decision take by the patients even if they are refusing the treatments. One of the most debated
topics among end of life ethics is euthanasia which is actually a procedure for intentionally
ending the life of a patient for relieving pain and suffering of the patient. Active euthanasia is
when an individual deliberately and directly causes the death of the patient (Butts et al., 2019).
This can be done by giving overdose of pain-killers or similar drugs. However, in passive
euthanasia, individuals do not take the lives of patients but allows them to live. This can be
done by withdrawing treatment like switching of machines that are keeping a patient alive.
However, in Ireland both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal under Irish Law.
Confidentiality:
Confidentiality is an essential bioethical principle that guides every healthcare
professional to not disclose the information shared by the patients on any instances. The British
Medical Association (BMA) has clearly outlined all the information that is considered
confidential between health professionals and patients. I have understood the association of
confidentiality with that of therapeutic relationship development. Confidentiality is central to the
development of trust between healthcare professionals and the patients and ensures strong
relationship development. Breaching of this bioethical principle might result in breaking of the
bonds where the patient would no longer be able to trust the professionals and this would impact
care of the patients (Chadwick & Gallagher, 2016). The compliance of the patient with the
treatment might be also affected and this would have negative outcomes on health of the patients.
I have gained much important insight that helped me develop an idea about the importance of
ensuring confidentiality of patient information. Health information not only remains based on
objective observations as well as diagnosis and test results. They also involve subjective
impressions about the patients along with their lifestyles, habits and different recreational

4
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
activities. Therefore, improper disclosure of the highly sensitive information can cause harm to
the reputation of the patients in may result in loss of opportunities, financial commitments and
even personal humiliation. Therefore, nursing professionals would need to be very careful while
handling the information of patients as to not to breach the principle of confidentiality.
Managerial ethics:
Managers need to perform many important roles while managing nursing workforces.
They need to direct nursing staffs and also control various activities. They also need to be very
careful in ensuring the delivery of safe and effective care to patients. They also have the
responsibility of promoting the flourishing of an organization and even improving the
competency and productivity of it in staffs and standards f the service. They have to create a
community where ethical practices would flourish. They also would need to promote best
practice as well as value for money. They also need to evaluate the day to day practices as well
as individual and team performances (Epstein et al., 2015). They also have to ensure
effectiveness of inter-professional cooperation as well as the effectiveness of risk assessments
and managements. I have learnt that according to moral management ethics, managers should
have the aims of maximizing the profits that remain confined of the ethical values as well as
principles. They need to conform to the professional and legal standards of contacts.

5
REFLECTION ASSIGNMENT PART 1
References:
Bollig, G., Gjengedal, E., & Rosland, J. H. (2016). Nothing to complain about? Residents’ and
relatives’ views on a “good life” and ethical challenges in nursing homes. Nursing
ethics, 23(2), 142-153.
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2019). Nursing ethics. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chadwick, R., & Gallagher, A. (2016). Ethics and nursing practice. Macmillan International
Higher Education.
Epstein, B., & Turner, M. (2015). The nursing code of ethics: Its value, its history. OJIN: The Online Journal
of Issues in Nursing, 20(2), 1-10.
Guo, P., Watts, K., & Wharrad, H. (2016). An integrative review of the impact of mobile
technologies used by healthcare professionals to support education and practice. Nursing
open, 3(2), 66-78.
Redmond, B. (2017). Reflection in action: Developing reflective practice in health and social
services. Routledge.
Rouleau, G., Gagnon, M. P., & Côté, J. (2015). Impacts of information and communication technologies on
nursing care: an overview of systematic reviews (protocol). Systematic reviews, 4(1), 75.
Walker, M., & Mann, R. A. (2016). Exploration of mindfulness in relation to compassion,
empathy and reflection within nursing education.