Ethics in healthcare is an essential aspect that all healthcare providers should embrace. Nurses have to ensure that they demonstrate professionalism in their occupation and focus on providing excellent care to the patients. In this scenario, I would allow Mr. Newcomb to meet his mistress after utilizing the four ethical principles. Thus, one can summarize how the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice apply to the scenario.
Based on the information provided, I would ensure that I focus on the different ethical considerations before responding to Mr. Newcomb’s request. Beneficence is one of the principles that reveals that a practitioner should act in the patient’s best interest (Day & Stream, 2018). Therefore, I would allow Mr. Newcomb to see his mistress before he dies as a way of fulfilling his needs. However, I would ensure that the arrangements of her visit are observed to prevent any form of harm to Mr. Newcomb.
Non-maleficence is another essential ethical principle in healthcare that focuses on patient outcomes. It encourages healthcare practitioners to focus on the wellbeing of the patients and not to be their cause of harm (Day & Stream, 2018). In this case, I would allow Mr. Newcomb to meet his mistress and set guidelines to prevent him from being harmed. For instance, I would guarantee that the mistress does not cause any form of stress to the patient. Moreover, I would ensure that seeing his mistress does not deteriorate his health status by physically harming him.
Autonomy was introduced in healthcare to ensure that the patients can make their decisions regarding their treatment. In this case, a patient has the right to refuse or choose their treatment (Varkey, 2021). Therefore, the request by Mr. Newcomb to meet his mistress can be termed as one of his rights that he should not be denied. Furthermore, ensuring that his wellbeing is observed is an essential aspect. Treatment can also involve improving his mental health, which can be achieved by interacting with his close ones. Consequently, autonomy can be applied in this scenario and reveal that letting Mr. Newcomb meet his mistress can be part of his treatment process and a way to respect his rights.
Justice is an ethical principle that focuses on the distribution of scarce health resources and patient treatment decisions. Therefore, justice can also be applied in this scenario, whereby the patient should be allowed to meet his mistress to show that justice is achieved. Additionally, his treatment concerns are involved in this ethical principle, whereby confidentiality should be utilized. Therefore, I would allow Mr. Newcomb to meet his mistress and avoid revealing it to his wife to ensure that privacy is exercised.
My personal beliefs and values have also influenced my response to the scenario in various ways. For instance, I believe that many people like fulfilling their wishes before they die. Moreover, many patients request different things on their deathbeds to satisfy their needs. It is also essential for patients to have their desires observed during their dying moments as it helps them feel relieved. Thus these beliefs and values have led to my decision of letting the patient see his mistress before he dies.
The strategies to promote self-care have also been encouraged in healthcare. One of the strategies is having a healthy diet.. Another strategy is to exercise since it enables an individual to relax the mind and improve psychological health. Having adequate sleep is another integral approach that promotes self-care. Sleep is essential since it also relaxes the mind and helps the body to repair the damaged tissues. Thus, these approaches are crucial since they promote self-care.
To sum up, ethical considerations in healthcare play a significant role in guiding clinicians in their healthcare setting. The ethical principles have also ensured that patient’s rights and the well-being are observed by practitioners. The various strategies such as exercising, a healthy diet, and having adequate sleep have been encouraged. Thus, ethical principles and self-care are some of the crucial issues that are involved in healthcare.
References
Jill Day, B. G. S., LDA, R., & Sarah Stream, B. A. (2018). Ethics in the Dental Office: Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice should guide your decisions. Dental Assistant, 87(4), 8-9. Web.
Varkey, B. (2021). Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17-28. Web.