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also please inform the writer that i live in the state of Connecticut, so when doing the paper they have to look up the code of ethic in my state . the writer also has to find an article to do this .
In your role as a PMHNP, you will encounter several situations that will require your ability to make sound judgments and practice decisions for the safety and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. There may not be a clear-cut answer of how to address the issue, but your ethical decision making must be based on evidenced-based practice and what is good, right, and beneficial for patients. You will encounter patients who do not hold your values, but you must remain professional and unbiased in the care you provide to all patients regardless of their socio-demographic and ethnic/racial background. You must be prepared to critically analyze ethical situations and develop an appropriate plan of action. For this Assignment, you review the literature and discover the various ethical dilemmas PMHNPs encounter and how these issues are typically addressed in your state.Learning Objectives
Students will:
Analyze salient ethical issues in psychiatric mental health practice
Compare ethical dilemmas with state health laws and regulations
Analyze ethical decision-making processes
To prepare:
Review literature for moral/ethical issues encountered by a PMHNP.
Select one of the articles you found that was published within the last 5 years to use as a focus for this assignment.
Write a 2-page paper in which you do the following:
Summarize the moral/ethical issue in the article (no more than 1 paragraph).
Describe the moral and ethical dilemmas surrounding the issue.
Analyze the ethical issue and compare them to the state health laws and regulations in your state.
Outline the process of ethical decision making you would use to address this ethical dilemma.
Note: Be sure to use the Practicum Journal Template, located in this week’s Learning Resources.
By Day 7 of Week 4
Submit your Assignment.
| Subject | Nursing | Pages | 2 | Style | APA |
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Answer
Evaluating the Ethical Dilemmas for PMHNPs
Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) encounter various ethical and moral challenges in their daily responsibilities. These issues range from meeting the patients’ needs to providing information to the patient’s family. This paper entails an ethical and moral issue facing PMHNPs, mandatory treatment.
Summary of the Moral/Ethical Issue
A common ethical issue facing PMHNPS is compulsory treatment. According to Kertchok (2015), the psychiatric nursing practice involves working with patients exhibiting varied psychotic symptoms. Compulsory treatment to these patients presents moral distress since some strict measures may be required. For instance, there are situations that may require using restraints, secluding the patient, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or giving the patient medication forcefully. Psychiatric nurses recognize the importance of these therapies and treatments. On the other hand, they are required to demonstrate concern for the patient’s autonomy and dignity. There are times a patient with severe psychotic symptoms may resist medication, and the PMHNPS is prompted to apply force to the individual. PMHNPs, therefore, face stress, anxiety, and conflict when compelling patients to receive treatment.
Moral and Ethical Dilemmas in Compulsory Treatment
Decision-making capacity is a vital issue in treating mental conditions. According to Sjostrand et al. (2015), compulsory treatment raises the question of respect for the patient’s autonomy. Healthcare providers are expected to protect and promote the individual’s autonomy. On the other hand, involuntary treatment can be justified in psychiatric treatment to restore and promote autonomy. Various laws in psychiatry require treating psychiatric conditions to address the patient’s issues that pose a threat to others and self and managing the severity of the disorder. Another ethical challenge entails causing stress, anxiety, and conflict with the patient (Werb et al., 2016). These issues may adversely affect the PMHNPs’ satisfaction and wellbeing. In other situations, compulsory treatment may involve infringing the patient’s privacy.
Analysis of the Issue and Comparison with State Regulations
The issue of compulsory treatment in psychiatry presents a wide range of ethical and moral issues, including distress to both the patient and PMHNP. Compulsory treatment in Connecticut can be examined from the involuntary treatment regulations. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center (2018), Connecticut is among the three states that prohibit involuntary treatment, which is also referred to as outpatient commitment and assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). For an individual to be a candidate for AOT, a particular criterion must be met, including a history of arrest or repeated hospitalization. According to Connecticut laws, mental health systems are committed to providing appropriate care while participants adhere to the management plan. Comparing the ethical issue with the Connecticut laws, it is apparent that compulsory treatment in Connecticut is a major moral challenge for PMHNPs, thus the need for a ethical decision-making process.
Decision Making Process
In an instance that a patient has refused treatment, a bioethical decision model may be applied (Sanderson, 2018). The first step is to review the scenario, which involves a patient refusing treatment, prompting the PMHNP to consider compulsory management. The second step is to collect sufficient information regarding the scenario, including whether the patient is under AOT. The third step is establishing the ethical issues, which include providing treatment against the patient’s will and conflict between the patient and nurse. In the fourth step, it involves defining the professional moral positions, which include respecting the individual’s autonomy and acknowledging Connecticut laws. Moral positions of the stakeholders involved include the patient refusing treatment, while the PMHNP respects the individual’s autonomy but fears for the patient’s welfare. The key decision-maker in such a situation is a judge, after the hospital and the PMHNP presents the patient as a candidate for AOT. In line with Connecticut laws, compulsory treatment should be administered only after the court’s judgment and recognizing the patient as an AOT candidate.
In summary, compulsory treatment is a common ethical dilemma for PMHNPs. In Connecticut, mandatory treatment is not allowed. Addressing a situation where a patient has refused treatment, the individual should be presented as a candidate for AOT and compulsory treatment provided after the court’s judgment to recognize the patient as an AOT’s candidate.
References
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Kertchok, R. (2015). Ethical İssues and moral distress in psychiatric and mental health nursing: A literature review. Journal of Health Research, 29(3), 227-234. Sanderson, C. D. (2018). Ethical and bioethical issues in nursing and health care. Contemporary Nursing E-Book: Issues, Trends, & Management, 161. Sjöstrand, M., Sandman, L., Karlsson, P., Helgesson, G., Eriksson, S., & Juth, N. (2015). Ethical deliberations about involuntary treatment: interviews with Swedish psychiatrists. BMC medical ethics, 16(1), 37. Treatment Advocacy Center (2018). Connecticut. Retrieved December 21, 2019, from https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/browse-by-state/connecticut Werb, D., Kamarulzaman, A., Meacham, M. C., Rafful, C., Fischer, B., Strathdee, S. A., & Wood, E. (2016). The effectiveness of compulsory drug treatment: a systematic review. International Journal of Drug Policy, 28, 1-9.
Appendix
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