Many nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs), particularly those who work without direct supervision, are aware of and are likely to engage in the ethical minefield that occurs when there is disagreement between the ‘key players’ in a healthcare encounter (Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), 2014).
Such conflicts may arise between the:
- Patient and the healthcare team
- Patient and his or her family
- Patient’s family and the healthcare team and
- Various members of the healthcare team internally
Conflicts between patients and care staff
Case study 1
Zoe, a lady in her mid-50s, has multiple health and disability issues, including myasthenia gravis (severe muscle weakness) and has been admitted to hospital via the A&E department with atrial fibrillation and very high heart rate. Zoe has been prescribed pyridostigmine 60mg five times daily for the myasthenia. Zoe asks the ward staff if she can continue to self-administer the pyridostigmine,
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Jasmine Walter
Jasmine Walter is a Content Editor at Mark Allen Group, working across a range of healthcare journals. She worked at an open access scientific publishing company for three years before joining MAG. She now writes and edits content for BJN Inform.
