Ethical decision making is an important skill of nurses. The Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses is structured around values that are central to ethical nursing practice. You may review the 2015 ANA Code of Ethics here or in the HCC Nursing Student Handbook.  It is generally accepted that ethical questions arise as a result of interactions between individual values and some stimulus situation. Most of us aspire to have the personal strength to do good, do no harm, remain loyal, tell the truth, respect privacy, and be accountable. There may be times, however, when one renames a behavior. White lies, slips of the tongue, or just “telling it like it is” are some renamed behaviors.
An ethical decision making process is simply a problem-solving tool. The information you use to make decisions related to ethical issues may vary depending on your personal or professional ethical perspectives.
Consider and answer the following:
Do you believe that telling clients the truth about their condition/prognosis/health status is always the correct and ethical thing to do or are there times when telling the truth may cause more harm and suffering than withholding the information? Explain the rationale for your answer and include the ethical principles that apply here as well as the responsibility that you, as a nurse, have to your client in this regard.
Can a nurse withhold information and still display the principle of veracity? Why or why not and, if so, how?
What question can you pose to the class to continue the thread of ethical decision making from a nursing perspective? State this question to the class in clear terms and remember to keep it open-ended.
Be sure to use appropriate references and scholarly citations.