The Core Rules Relating to Nursing Practice Essay -- Ethics, Health, Nu

ETHICAL ISSUE Ethics is a philosophic study that examines values, choices, and actions to determine right and wrong. Ethical principles include but not limited to; Justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, veracity. The case study which I am going to discussed in my paper is about an LPN, who was working from 7:00 P.M to 7:00 A.M. And was assigned to five patients, including a patient for whom an obstetrical consultation was needed. The other four patients were essentially stable. At about 4;30 A.M., the LPN became ill and vomited in the bathroom. She immediately went to the nurses’ station notified the other four nurses who were working with her that she was leaving. The charge nurse instructed her to notify the supervisor before leaving, but the LPN did not communicate with the nursing supervisor before existing the facility. The facility notified the LPN that it was terminating its contract with her and reported the LPN to the state board of nursing for abandonment. The board of nursing imposed a $ 1000 penalty for abandoning her patients and suspended her nursing license pending a psychosocial examination. According to The Texas Board of Nursing (BON or Board),† in keeping with its mission to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, holds nurses accountable for providing a safe environment for clients and others over whom the nurse is responsible [Rule 217.11(1)(B)]. Though the Nursing Practice Act (NPA) and Board Rules do not define the term abandonment, the Board has investigated and disciplined nurses in the past for issues surrounding the concept of abandonment as it relates to the nurses’ duty to patient. The Board's position applies to licensed nurses (LVNs and RNs... ... to prevent harm. Nonmaleficence is defined as: The duty not to inflict harm intentionally. Based on my viewpoint, the LPN did not intentionally inflict harm on the patient’s. According to her statement, she became ill and decided to leave the facility and the reason she didn’t communicate with her supervisor was because she was afraid that the supervisor would send her to the emergency center, which she didn’t want to be billed for such a visit. Veracity is defined as truth-telling and based on my point of view, the LPN was not telling the truth, when she testified that she intended to see her family physician early that same morning. It was 4:30 am when she left the facility and there is no way she could have seen her family physician that morning unless she went to the emergency room which she refused to go making her guilty for abandoning her patients.