Respect for autonomy: is it always paramount?
Following the argument proposed by Tschudin in 1986 that many nurses do not have the skills for ethical decision-making, this article identifies and discusses one ethical problem from practice. The problem concerns an extremely obese patient who refuses to be moved by a hoist. The nurse acquiesce to the patient's wishes and she is moved manually by four members of staff. The issues identified for discussion are: the paramountcy of the principle of respect for the patient's autonomy; the rights and obligations of the nurses; and the justification for influencing patient choice. The approach used by the ward nurses is analysed and the value of using an ethical decision-making model is considered.
Morgan
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D000368:Aged; D003657:Decision Making; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016294:Models, Nursing; D028681:Moral Obligations; D009736:Nursing Process; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010358:Patient Participation; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D016312:Treatment Refusal