Task 2 - Ethical Principle Application
Task 2 - Ethical Principle Application
C304 Task 2
Jeslin Mattathil RN
3/22/2020
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Task 2
1. Describe how you would respond to Mr. Newcomb’s request.
As a nurse, I am taught to never judge or put my values onto other people. As a health
professional we are no one to be judging someone’s personal life. We may have different
opinions about this situation, but it is not our place to share these ideologies with the patient. As
Mr. Newcomb’s nurse, I need to respect his wishes especially when he does not have much more
time to live. His wish is not causing anyone harm or unethical. I do not see a problem in Mr.
Newcomb having a visitor who happens to be his mistress visiting but it is out of my scope to be
2. Evaluate how you applied the principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and
Beneficence is the act of mercy and kindness and to do what is best for the patient. As a
dying patient, Mr. Newcomb is allowed to make one last wish to see his mistress. If this is what
will make him happy before he passes, then I cannot deny this happiness from him. I understand
that this could cause a lot of pain for his wife, Mrs. Newcomb but ultimately Mr. Newcomb is
Nonmaleficence is to not inflict harm to the patient. This is not causing any sort of harm
to Mr. Newcomb. Instead this could be beneficial for him since this could make him feel more
comfortable with death since he got to have one last moment with his mistress. This can cause
emotional problems with Mrs. Newcomb, but it is not my job to assume the reaction Mrs.
Autonomy is having the authority to make a decision by one’s self. I don’t see the issue
of having Mr. Newcomb’s mistress visiting as any other visitor he may have. The most important
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Task 2
thing that Mr. Newcomb needs to understand that it is unethical for me to lie for him to his wife.
It is not my place to get involved with that. What he shares with me is confidential information
so I cannot disclose this information to his wife but lying for him is not something I am willing
to do, and I cannot do that as a healthcare professional. In this scenario, I am making the decision
Justice is fairness. As a nurse I must be fair in my care for Mr. Newcomb going forward.
Knowing that he has a mistress might come as a shock to me since morally I think that is wrong
but that should never affect the care that I provide for him. I must continue to provide the same
standard of care that I had been providing him prior to me finding out about his personal life.
3. Examine how personal beliefs and values influenced your response to the scenario.
In my personal life, I believe infidelity is completely wrong and I would never accept that
behavior from my partner. Even I knew one of my friends were doing something like this and
having an affair, I would tell them that they are wrong in what they are doing, and I might even
see them differently. I may even decide not to continue with that friendship because I believe this
is morally wrong and I could not see myself continuing to respect this person. But in the case of
Mr. Newsome, as close as I get with a patient there is always a personal boundary that I keep. I
always remind myself that these patients are not my friends, they are my patient. Therefore, my
duties are solely to tend to their care and make sure they are comfortable. Although his personal
life is not something, I am okay with, this should not affect the care that he is receiving. If I see
that my care for him is deteriorating due to me knowing about his personal life, it is my duty let
The most important things that can be done to promote self-care is to get adequate
amount of sleep, exercise and making sure to eat healthy. When working long shift at a hospital,
it can be very stressful. Also working in oncology, where you are seeing a lot of patients that you
get close to passing away can be really emotionally draining. Getting enough sleep can ensure
that you will be able to function and think critically when you are working with patients.
Although one may have a stressful day at work, making sure to exercise and to eat healthy
prevents obesity and cardiovascular disease. Exercise gives you some me time to unwind from a
stressful day.