Future Advanced Practice Nurse

Every individual has a personal, unique set of morals. The same is true for professions; each having a specific set of morals that determine practice. For the nursing profession, ethical principles, ethical frameworks and theories, and ethical competencies have been identified and developed based on practicing morals. The future advanced practice nurse (APN) will identify a practice specialty, state the previously chosen phenomenon of interest (POI) and relate three ethical principles and one framework to the chosen POI and her future practice. The specialty focus of the future APN is a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Lewandowski and Adamle defined the role of a CNS as an APN who oversees the care of complicated and defenseless patient populations,
The future CNS’s previously chosen phenomenon of interest (POI) is Paleolithic diet and its effects on inflammation.
In looking at a Paleolithic diet and the effects it has on inflammation from an ethical viewpoint, the future CNS feels three principles relate well to the chosen POI, autonomy, non-maleficence, and beneficence. Autonomy describes the patient’s ability to make his/her own choices as he/she sees fit (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001). In order to make an informed decision, a patient must be given all information in regards to the decision. Autonomy is relevant to the chosen POI when treating a patient who has been diagnosed with chronic disease related to inflammation. Is the patient aware that the choice of foods he/she makes contributes to his/her disease process? This principle will influence the future CNS’s practice by educating others about the positive effects consuming a Paleolithic diet has on inflammation. The next principle identified is non-maleficence. Non-maleficence means that no harm will be done to a patient (Beauchamp & Childress, 2001). In
The word deontology means the science of duty. Immanuel Kant, the philosopher most associated with deontology, defined a person as a reasonable, uncontrolled being who has the capacity to recognize moral laws and the power to decide to act morally or immorally, according to his/her duty (1785/2012). A person’s decisions are made by respecting others; this is our duty as humans. Kant further expanded on duty by distinguishing two types, hypothetical and categorical imperatives. Categorical imperatives are duties that are pure, outright and absolute. There are two questions Kant formulated in relation to categorical imperatives that can be asked when deciding if an action is right or wrong. Can this action be applied to every circumstance as universal law? Is the action being taken a means to an end? If the answer to the first is yes and the second no, then according to Kant, the action is morally right