Mandated reporting and emphasis ethics with an emphasis on drug diversion incidents involving both licensed nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs). Here are the objectives:
Understand the role of ethics in healthcare and its application to drug diversion incidents.
Define ethics and its significance in healthcare decision-making and actions
Define drug diversion and its ethical implications in the healthcare context
Understand the key ethical principles (e.g., autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice) and their relevance to healthcare.
Understand the ethical responsibilities of licensed nurses and CNAs in cases of drug diversion
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Title: Ethics and Drug Diversion: Responsibilities of Licensed Nurses and CNAs
Introduction: Ethics plays a crucial role in healthcare decision-making and actions, particularly in cases involving drug diversion incidents. Drug diversion refers to the unauthorized use or distribution of controlled substances by healthcare professionals. This essay aims to explore the role of ethics in healthcare, define drug diversion and its ethical implications, discuss key ethical principles, and outline the ethical responsibilities of licensed nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in cases of drug diversion.
Understanding Ethics in Healthcare: Ethics, in the context of healthcare, refers to the moral principles and values that guide decision-making and actions to ensure the well-being and rights of patients. It involves making morally sound choices and adhering to professional standards. Ethics serve as a foundation for maintaining trust, integrity, and accountability within the healthcare profession.
Defining Drug Diversion and Its Ethical Implications: Drug diversion is the unauthorized acquisition or transfer of controlled substances by healthcare professionals for personal use or distribution. This unethical behavior poses significant risks to patient safety, compromises the integrity of healthcare systems, and undermines public trust. Drug diversion can lead to patient harm, compromised care quality, legal consequences, and damage to professional reputation.
Key Ethical Principles in Healthcare: Several ethical principles guide decision-making in healthcare, including autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice:
Autonomy: Autonomy recognizes an individual’s right to make informed decisions about their healthcare. In cases of drug diversion, respecting patient autonomy involves ensuring their safety and protecting their rights by promptly addressing any concerns related to compromised care.
Beneficence: Beneficence refers to acting in the best interest of patients, promoting their well-being, and ensuring optimal care. Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to prevent drug diversion incidents, as they directly undermine beneficence by jeopardizing patient safety.
Non-maleficence: Non-maleficence emphasizes the duty to do no harm. Drug diversion incidents can lead to patient harm through medication errors or compromised care. Upholding non-maleficence requires prompt reporting and intervention to mitigate risks associated with drug diversion.
Justice: Justice entails fairness and equal treatment for all individuals. In cases of drug diversion, justice demands that healthcare professionals report incidents promptly and consistently to ensure fair treatment for patients and maintain the integrity of healthcare systems.
Ethical Responsibilities of Licensed Nurses and CNAs: Both licensed nurses and CNAs have ethical responsibilities when it comes to drug diversion incidents:
Licensed Nurses: Licensed nurses are entrusted with patient care and have a duty to report any suspicion or evidence of drug diversion promptly. They should adhere to professional codes of conduct, follow reporting protocols established by their respective institutions, and participate in efforts to mitigate risks associated with drug diversion.
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs): While CNAs may have limited access to controlled substances, they still play a crucial role in maintaining patient safety. CNAs should be vigilant in identifying any signs of drug diversion, such as unusual behavior or discrepancies in medication administration records. They should report their concerns to licensed nurses or other appropriate authorities as per institutional policies.
Conclusion: Ethics is integral to healthcare decision-making and actions, particularly in cases involving drug diversion incidents. Understanding the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice is essential for healthcare professionals. Both licensed nurses and CNAs have ethical responsibilities to promptly report any suspicion or evidence of drug diversion to protect patient safety, maintain professional integrity, and uphold the ethical standards of the healthcare profession. By adhering to these responsibilities, healthcare professionals can contribute to a safer and more trustworthy healthcare environment.
