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Legal and Ethical Issues Faced by Oncology Nurses

                Some of the legal and ethical issues experienced by oncology nurses include dilemma related to treatment and resuscitation, patient rights and confidentiality issues, as well as the use of chemical restraints among many others. This paper identifies the primary areas for legal and ethical issues faced by oncology nurses in the study by Park (2009) as being divided into three components; the end-of-life treatment decisions, patient care issues, and human rights issues.  It also strategies in place to address/work with these ethical issues.

                The issues related to the end-of-life treatment decisions are those which occur when the nurse’s decisions pose a dilemma. Examples are whether to resuscitate or not, whether to treat a disabled patient or not, determining the right pain management level for a particular patient, and even determining when death occurs among many others (Park, 2009). Patient care issues, on the other hand, relate to how there may be no right or wrong way to care for a patient in oncology (Cox et al., 2017). Some of these issues relate to the ignoring of patient or family autonomy, the conflicting rights of minors and their parents, misinformation on treatment or medical alternatives, and even poor staffing patterns that limit patient access to care. Lastly, the human rights issues include those that have already been established legally such as using chemical restraints, protecting the rights of patients and human dignity, and obtaining informed consent to treatment (Park, 2009).

                The strategies which these nurses have developed to help them deal with these ethical issues include; consulting ethics committee, being part of a hospice team, having frequent team meetings and discussions, and the involvement of other health professionals in the decision making process (Park, 2009).

                In conclusion, oncology nurses face a myriad of legal and ethical issues relating to patient care. However, they have adopted some strategies to help them avoid any legal implications such as working in teams and involving others in the decision making processes.