Impact of Technology
What are some common dilemmas related to the availability of technologies in health care?
Deciding what patient situations warrant the use of available technologies and who decides when to initiate and withdraw interventions.
What ethical principle did Nurse Darcy violate by posting a photo of her patient on social media?
The right to privacy.
What does a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order mean?
It indicates the decision to not initiate CPR.
What are advance directives?
Instructions indicating one's wishes regarding health care interventions or designating a health care surrogate.
What are some guidelines for nurses using social media?
Do not identify patients by name, do not use personal devices to take or post photos, and maintain professional boundaries.
How does technology affect the focus of nurses?
Nurses face increasing demands to focus on technology rather than on their patients.
What are the principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence?
Beneficence is doing good, and nonmaleficence is avoiding harm.
What are some issues related to reproductive technology?
Changing concepts of family and parenthood, treatment of frozen embryos, and exploitation of women.
What is the importance of palliative care?
It focuses on the comfort and support of patients and families facing terminal illness.
What should nurses do to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of patient health information?
Use secure passwords, agency email, confidentiality statements on fax coversheets, and purge private information before discarding devices.
What is the subjective appraisal of factors that make life worth living called?
Quality of life.
What should be considered when deciding whether to use or withdraw artificial sources of nutrition and hydration at the end of life?
Benefit versus harm, patient or surrogate wishes, and quality of life.
What is genetic engineering?
The ability to alter organisms genetically for various purposes.
What are some issues related to organ and tissue procurement and transplantation?
Resource allocation, definition of death, voluntary informed consent, and potential for coerced consent.
What are some practices for nursing self-care?
Emotional wellness practices, cognitive-behavioral skills, journaling, physical activity, and disconnecting from technology.
What are some challenges associated with the ability to prolong life through technology?
Issues of quality of life, prolonged suffering, and separation from family.
What is medical futility?
Situations where interventions are judged to have very little or no medical benefit.
What are some ethical dilemmas associated with genetic screening?
Duty to warn family members versus maintaining patient confidentiality.
What are some privacy breaches that can occur with health care information technology?
Poor encryption, hacking, lost or stolen devices, and improper disposal of old equipment.
What is the importance of communication in nursing practice related to technology?
Identifying decision makers, advocating for patients, providing a listening presence, and communicating effectively.
What is the principle of nonmaleficence?
The maxim of "do no harm."
What is the role of the ethics committee in health care?
To gather information, arrange patient care conferences, develop recommendations, and follow up on outcomes.
What is cloning?
The process of creating a cell or an entire organism that is identical in every way to another.
What are some ethical concerns with electronic medical records (EMRs)?
Privacy and confidentiality, streamlined charting, copying and pasting data, and false entries due to clinician fatigue.
What is the role of caring in nursing practice amidst technology?
Explaining interventions, seeing experiences from the patient's perspective, and supporting patient and family choices.