HEALTH CARE ETHICS

ASSIGNMENT #1
Instruction: Consider these common and not-so-common questions that you will face as a
health care practitioner. To find answers, you will need to draw from your own
value system, personal beliefs or prior knowledge of clinical ethics, health care
etiquette and some laws.
What Should You Do;

1. If you begin to have feelings for a patient who is under your care for quite some times,
can you ethically date him or her? Justify your answer.
2. If and when you are given a gift, is it permissible to take a gift from a patient?
3. When is it legitimate and perhaps mandatory to break a patient’s confidence?
4. If you make a medication error that no one else knows about but it appears harmless to
your patient?
ANSWERS:

1. For my part, I believe that health care practitioners specifically nurses

should never seek a sexual or inappropriate emotional connection with a current or
former patient. It is likewise improper to terminate a professional connection with a
patient in order to pursue a personal relationship. It is also unethical for health care
practitioners to utilize or abuse trust, information, emotions, or influence gained
through a prior professional connection, or if a romantic relationship would otherwise
endanger the person. According to the GMC (General Medical Council), you should
respectfully reject their offer and attempt to re-establish a professional boundary.
According to the book professional Boundaries in Nursing, "the nurses
duty is to define and maintain boundaries and should work with in the therapeutic
relationship." We are all aware that this may have an impact on our career as well as
our personal beliefs. Furthermore, the Philippine Nursing Code of Ethics states that
the “nurse-patient connection may excessively affect the patient.” Maintain their
professional responsibilities while on the job and avoid any privileged relationships
with patients.

2. Some people think that health care providers should never take gifts because it may
affect the standard of treatment or undermine the fiduciary relationship. Others
believe that receiving presents in specific situations helps patients to show
appreciation and improves the practitioner-patient relationship. Well both of them
have a point but According to Article 1, Section 11.3 stated that “Decline any gift,
favour or hospitality which might be interpreted as capitalizing patients. It will give
crucial impact on the state in which accepting gifts would be unethical; it gives
biases and special judgement or treatment when it comes to your services. If a
 patient really insisted you to receive a modest present, such as baked foods, I will
tell that I can’t still accept it as I am sticking the regulation of my workplace. A very
valuable present, on the other hand, should be rejected, particularly if it is likely to
create financial difficulty for the patient or the patient's family. We cannot dispute that
some patients insisted on getting modest presents as expressions of appreciation.
To prevent hurt emotions, I will thank the patient for the present, respectfully explain
why I can't take it, and then I will reassure the patient that this will not affect our
relationship in any way. Most patients would understand if the gift came with no
strings attached.

3. According to the GMC, patients have the right to assume that information
about them would be kept confidential by healthcare providers. Only in extreme
situations, such as when refusal to disclose information may result in severe damage to
others, should healthcare providers contemplate violating their obligation. According to
the American Medical Association's Code of Medical Ethics, health provider may
disclose information without a patient's consent to other health care personnel who are
or will be providing care to the individual, to authorities when required by law, and if the
health provider believes the patient will seriously harm himself or another. A
psychologist, for example, may divulge information about a patient who discusses
suicide or expresses desire to hurt someone.
. According to Section 7.9 of the Philippine Nursing Code of Ethics, "ensure
that patients' records are accessible only if they are to be given to those who are
professionally and directly engaged in their care and when they are required by law.”
In general, medical practitioners are urged to maintain patient anonymity in all
aspects, except in instances when they are required to report or have a strong
desire to rely on professional judgment
4. "To err is human; to forgive divine," Alexander Pope wrote more than 300 years
ago. Despite this human reality, no health care practitioner ever wants to be the one
who makes a mistake, and no one ever wants to be the victim of a medical error.
Making a mistake, in my opinion, is terrible, but not addressing it is much
worse. I will rectify my mistake (s) by addressing the issue as soon as possible to
ensure that no damage is done. Once the mistake is under control, I will adhere to
my organization's rules so that the error may be recognized and learnt from in order
to avoid a similar incident from occurring in the future. Finally, I won't linger on my
error; instead, I'll make sure to learn from it so that it doesn't happen again. I will do
all in my ability to make things right and then move on.
My main duty as a professional is to keep an eye on my patient. It is previously
established in Article 1, Section 1 that "Health is a fundamental right of every
individual." The Filipino registered nurse, who believes in the value and dignity of
every human being, understands the main duty to protect health at all costs. This
duty includes the promotion of health, the avoidance of disease, and the relief of
pain. However, if the above is not feasible, his/her duty should be to aid in a
peaceful death."