In line with her professional responsibilities, Althea must first rule out pregnancy before she considers prescribing medication for Jasmine’s nausea. Discuss the delicate balance between respecting patient autonomy and Althea’s responsibility to ensure Jasmine’s well-being. Is it ethical for Althea to be insistent about ruling out pregnancy, even if the patient is resistant?

Althea is new in her role of nurse practioner. Discuss the competencies registered nurses will develop as they becomes a nurse practitioners. Which of these competencies does Althea demonstrate in this scenario?

 

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 Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Balancing Patient Autonomy and Clinical Responsibility

Althea faces a delicate ethical dilemma: respecting Jasmine’s autonomy while ensuring her safety.

  • Respecting Patient Autonomy:

    • Jasmine has the right to make informed decisions about her own healthcare.
    • Althea must respect Jasmine’s autonomy and provide her with accurate information about the potential risks and benefits of different treatment options.
  • Clinical Responsibility:

    • Althea has a professional and ethical obligation to provide safe and effective care.
    • Ruling out pregnancy is crucial for Jasmine’s safety, as certain medications can be harmful to a developing fetus.

Ethical Considerations

  • Informed Consent: Althea should explain the rationale for ruling out pregnancy clearly and respectfully.
    • She should discuss the potential risks of medication during pregnancy, emphasizing that this is a standard precaution for women of childbearing age.
    • Providing clear and accurate information empowers Jasmine to make an informed decision about her care.
  • Therapeutic Communication:
    • Althea should use active listening skills and empathetic communication to understand Jasmine’s concerns and address her resistance.

Balancing Patient Autonomy and Clinical Responsibility

Althea faces a delicate ethical dilemma: respecting Jasmine’s autonomy while ensuring her safety.

  • Respecting Patient Autonomy:

    • Jasmine has the right to make informed decisions about her own healthcare.
    • Althea must respect Jasmine’s autonomy and provide her with accurate information about the potential risks and benefits of different treatment options.
  • Clinical Responsibility:

    • Althea has a professional and ethical obligation to provide safe and effective care.
    • Ruling out pregnancy is crucial for Jasmine’s safety, as certain medications can be harmful to a developing fetus.

Ethical Considerations

  • Informed Consent: Althea should explain the rationale for ruling out pregnancy clearly and respectfully.
    • She should discuss the potential risks of medication during pregnancy, emphasizing that this is a standard precaution for women of childbearing age.
    • Providing clear and accurate information empowers Jasmine to make an informed decision about her care.
  • Therapeutic Communication:
    • Althea should use active listening skills and empathetic communication to understand Jasmine’s concerns and address her resistance.
    • Building a trusting relationship with Jasmine is crucial for effective patient care.
  • Negotiation and Compromise:
    • If Jasmine remains resistant, Althea can explore alternative options, such as recommending a pregnancy test and discussing non-pharmacological approaches to managing nausea.

Insistence vs. Collaboration

While Althea has a professional obligation to ensure Jasmine’s safety, a forceful or insistent approach may undermine trust and hinder effective communication. A more collaborative approach, emphasizing shared decision-making and respecting Jasmine’s autonomy, is likely to be more successful in achieving the desired outcome.

Nurse Practitioner Competencies

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are advanced practice registered nurses with specialized education and training. Key competencies for NPs include:

  • Diagnosis and Management:
    • Conducting comprehensive assessments, diagnosing conditions, and developing and implementing treatment plans.
    • Althea demonstrates this by considering potential diagnoses (pregnancy) and recommending appropriate investigations (pregnancy test).
  • Health Promotion and Disease Prevention:
    • Educating patients on health maintenance, disease prevention, and risk reduction.
    • Althea demonstrates this by educating Jasmine about the importance of ruling out pregnancy before starting medication.
  • Leadership and Advocacy:
    • Advocating for patient rights and access to quality healthcare.
    • Althea demonstrates advocacy by prioritizing Jasmine’s safety while respecting her autonomy.
  • Professionalism and Ethics:
    • Practicing ethically and adhering to professional standards of care.
    • Althea demonstrates professionalism by prioritizing patient safety and striving to build a trusting relationship with Jasmine.
  • Communication and Interpersonal Skills:
    • Communicating effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare providers.
    • Althea demonstrates this by effectively communicating the rationale for her recommendations and addressing Jasmine’s concerns.

Conclusion

This scenario highlights the complex interplay between patient autonomy and clinical responsibility. By effectively communicating, demonstrating empathy, and prioritizing patient safety, Althea can navigate this delicate balance and provide high-quality, patient-centered care.

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