S. Z: Ethical Dilemmas In Nursing

Ethical Practice in Nursing S.Z, a 65 year old Hispanic male, is being discharged from hospital after being admitted with a blood sugar of 589. He has been seeing a curandero to manage his diabetes mellitus type II, hyperlipidemia, and osteoarthritis. He has not taken his prescription medications for these chronic conditions, but instead takes traditional medicines the curandero tells him to take. His daughter approaches the nurse with her concerns over her father’s heath and asks the nurse if her father’s discharge orders can be cancelled; the daughter would prefer the doctor write orders for her father to be admitted to a nursing home. An ethical dilemma is defined as a conflict that arises when “the right thing to do is not clear
Patient autonomy refers to S.Z deciding what the best option for himself is, whether that is discharging home to continue working with his curandero for management of his conditions, or discharging to a nursing home (Potter et al., 2015). While members of the health care team and his daughter may not believe the best option is for him to continue working with the curandero, they have to respect S.Z’s decision. Overall the goal of patient autonomy is to decide the best course of action for the patient, keeping the patient’s wishes in mind (Potter et al., 2015). By meeting with his primary care provider, S.Z can explain his rational for seeing a curandero and why he is not taking his prescription medication; the doctor can also asses S.Z’s mental health from his wife passing away. This steps into the second supporting point for the solution – having S.Z’s provider educate him on different treatment