The Code of Ethics guide in nursing

by | Mar 8, 2023 | Professional ethics

 

 

 

 

 

 

A military RN is ordered to force-feed a terrorist prisoner while they are undergoing interrogation. The prisoner is on a hunger strike protesting their capture and highlighting his cause. The nurse is to ensure the prisoner remains hydrated and fed so they can provide information and do not starve. The nurse is torn. On the one hand, the nurse has a strong loyalty to the military objective of ensuring public safety by uncovering terrorist plots and fear of reprisal if orders are disobeyed. Yet, the nurse is appalled at overriding a patient’s wishes by force-feeding him.

 

Male RN in Military Uniform

Critical Thinking Questions

Is this an ethical dilemma or a moral dilemma?

What ethical principles are in contention? How?

Are there any virtues at risk? Whose? Why?

What justifies overriding an individual’s autonomy to make his own choices?

How does the Code of Ethics guide the nurse in invoking conscientious objection?

What lessons can be learned from this nurse’s dilemma?

 

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.


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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 Solution

This is an ethical dilemma since it involves a conflict between two moral principles; in this case, the nurse’s loyalty to their duty as a military officer and their obligations as a medical professional. The ethical principles in contention are autonomy versus beneficence; while the nurse has an obligation to respect the patient’s autonomy by respecting their decision to go on a hunger strike, they also have an obligation to uphold the duty of care towards them by ensuring they remain healthy. Both autonomy and beneficence rely on virtues such as respect for human rights and compassion; however, these can be compromised if not executed appropriately.

Sample Solution

This is an ethical dilemma since it involves a conflict between two moral principles; in this case, the nurse’s loyalty to their duty as a military officer and their obligations as a medical professional. The ethical principles in contention are autonomy versus beneficence; while the nurse has an obligation to respect the patient’s autonomy by respecting their decision to go on a hunger strike, they also have an obligation to uphold the duty of care towards them by ensuring they remain healthy. Both autonomy and beneficence rely on virtues such as respect for human rights and compassion; however, these can be compromised if not executed appropriately.

The overriding of an individual’s autonomy is justifiable only when necessary to protect public safety or prevent significant harm from being done both physically and psychologically. In this situation, force-feeding may be seen as necessary due to its potential contribution in uncovering terrorist plots that could cause greater harm if left unchecked. The Code of Ethics guides nurses by providing guidelines for making decisions such as invoking conscientious objection – something which should always be taken into account when faced with difficult choices regarding one’s duties and obligations.

Ultimately, this nurse’s dilemma teaches us about our responsibilities towards those under our care – even when we face difficulties in reconciling our various roles within broader contexts such as war or politics. It also reminds us of the importance of considering all options before taking action so that we can ensure any decisions made are done responsibly and ethically.

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