Ethics is the field that deals with the moral principles which act as a guide to the behavior of an individual (Chadwick & Gallagher, 2016). This discipline also defines what is good and bad and the moral duty and obligation we have. Ethics can change the prior thoughts, decisions, and actions of people and it is an essential measure that helps in the protection of society and guiding the conduct of people concerning what is right and wrong (Marquis & Huston, 2015).
For appropriate ethical decision-making, it is essential that one acquires the knowledge of moral principles and frameworks, and that one must be able to make them by considering the style of leadership that is independent of trial and error while referring to the decision-making models (McClelland, 2015). This paper is aimed at introducing a conceptual framework of ethics, moral, or legal standards. The essay will also consider an example of a dilemma in a work environment and analyze the solutions employed by examining the style of leadership identified by a tool of self-assessment.
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Conceptual Framework
In the nursing field, it is inevitable to face multiple dilemmas when taking care of patients. The myriad challenges make the nurse utilize decisions that are difficult and manifest daily in the outcomes of the patients for which they care (Doody & Noonan, 2016). By taking into consideration the ethical framework, an individual will be guided to solve a moral problem by providing the assistance needed for the agents to distinguish between personal beliefs and values. According to Marquis & Huston (2015), the most common frameworks that are used in the handling of ethical issues include rights-based reasoning, duty-based reasoning, intuitionism, and utilitarianism.
The rights-based reasoning is centered on the belief that some ordeals are a just due for the individual. For instance, regardless of their qualifications, two applicants have the right to unbiased and fair considerations of their applications (Marquis & Huston, 2015). On the other hand, duty-based reasoning is that which is centered on the belief that particular decisions should be made because of the actual duty to be carried out or that there is a duty to avoid doing an act. For instance, an employer would seek to hire the most qualified person because it is a duty even if it costs more than getting an under qualified one.
Intuitionism framework involves the individual view of a problem as an agent. This concept allows the manager to compare the comparative weights of rights, duties, and goals for each ethical dilemma (Marquis & Huston, 2015). But, what holds is the intuition of the leader as it determines the weighing. By using their minds in thinking of the best solution, an individual can discover truths.
Lastly, utilitarianism framework bases its concept on the decision making that provides the greatest good for the greatest number. When carried out appropriately, it should bring the most happiness to the broader population. The value of the act is what will determine the application of this concept with the outcome or consequences of forming the emphasis.
The Case
As an individual who works in an emergency department that also contains a psychiatric facility, I am bombarded with multiple difficulties on a daily basis. One day while on a night shift, we got a call from the regional command center that a police vehicle was coming with a male patient. The age unstated, the male was found by the police outside on a winter night, entirely nude. As he saw the officers, he started charging at them, and that prompted them to tease him. The command center also said that the client was nonverbal with the police and made our security people take him into our facility.
As there was no security around at that time, another nurse and I decided to approach the squad car that was in the ambulance bay. On our arrival, we noticed that the patient was still nude, underage, in handcuffs, and with a mental disability. After taking him down from the car, we asked he be released from the cuffs, and we helped clean him up and offer him food and clothing then tried to track down his family. The client had never checked into our facility, and the officers who brought him said that he had filled a mental paper on the patient for psychiatric services and that he was to be held in our center. However, the information on the patient was lacking.
After a few hours, a call came in from a distraught mother looking for her 16-year-old autistic son. When we looked carefully, the descriptions pointed out to the same patient we had in our custody. We assured them that he was safe and the events that led to his checking in and that the officers had filed mental hygiene. The parent informed us that they had set up multiple systems to alert them if their son got up in the middle of the night. She stated that they had trained the boy to seek the help of the police when distressed. The same night we called the medical provider of the parents, and they confirmed of the story. We reached the police department concerning the behavior of the officer. The ethical problem that presents itself is whether to believe the say of the family and release the boy or follow the legal proceedings and implement the mental hygiene on a boy who had learning difficulties. However, we spoke to the magistrate to have it dropped and released the boy back to his parents. We believed that the boy was not trying to harm himself and only ran to the police to seek assistance but was failed.
Leadership Style
Based on the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, the type of personality that I possess is that of an idealist. The tool states that those with this type of character become more concerned with their personal growth and wellbeing, as well as seeking to discover who they indeed are (Grossman & Valiga, 2016). Their original drawing orientation is based on working with people to help them find their successes in life. They believe in friendly cooperation as the best way of helping people achieve their goals but are highly upset by conflict and confrontations. These people have a unique ability to make others work together for a greater good and see the potential that life can bring (Jankowski, 2015). They hold themselves to the high standards of personal integrity and are full of love and goodwill and believe in selflessness in assisting others.
This personality helped a great deal in deciding the course of action in the ethical dilemma in which I found myself. It was vital for me to take a leap of faith and be helpless in helping the patient and his family. We were able to listen to what the parents said and sympathized with them and were keen on helping them get their son back.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the nursing setting is one that is filled with intense and constant challenges that sometimes cause ethical dilemmas to the practitioners. As the books do not advice on the best course of action during these events, it is up to the nurses to use their personal decisions to solve these challenges and uphold the rights of those they care. In our case, the patient had a court order that needed him to be placed under the psychiatric facility for evaluation. However, it was filed without the knowledge of the family or the person in question and thus had to be dropped. It was only best for my client to be returned home as there were systems in place for his care. As a moral agent, I find comfort in the ability to decide under challenging situations by employing the knowledge I learned and experience gained throughout my career, thanks to my personality trait of an idealist.
References
Chadwick, R., & Gallagher, A. (2016). Ethics and nursing practice : Macmillan International Higher Education.
Doody, O., & Noonan, M. (2016). Nursing research ethics, guidance and application in practice: British Journal of Nursing , 25 (14), 803-807. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/27467646
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th Ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
McClelland, M. (2015, March 6). Ethics: Harm in the emergency department - ethical drivers for change: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing , 20 (2). http://dx.doi.org/10.3912/OJIN.Vol20No02EthCol01
Jankowski, J. (2015). Why Are We So Different?: Your Guide to the 16 Personality Types Logos Media.
Grossman, S., & Valiga, T. M. (2016). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing . FA Davis.
