Ethical Dilemmas on Child Healthcare

Ethical Dilemma
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Dilemma description
The ethical dilemma is the best way to maintain autonomy for teenagers who have cancer, given the need to involve their parents in the nursing care process. Teenagers have a right to information and privacy, and should ideally say what they think. However, the adults make decisions that affect the child’s health from the parents to the healthcare practitioners. Nurses are faced with the challenge of handling ethical challenges from testing to disclosure of information to the teenager as they need to maintain patient autonomy while respecting the right of privacy and information (Westrick & Dempski, 2009). There is a need to provide consistent and compassionate care to the teenagers and family members dealing with cancer.
Identifying principles (from ANA) code of ethics
The right to maintain privacy while the patient is informed about their condition is an ethical issue that is covered by the ANA Code of Ethics. Regardless of the patient’s age, the information of the patient should not be disclosed to third parties if required by law (Erickson & Millar, 2005). At the same time, parents and guardians are to take care of the teenagers who are to be fully independent. At the same time, the nurses need to determine whether the disclosure will make it easier for the patient’s parents/ guardians to agree to the options available. Obtaining prior consent requires the input of the patients and their parents/ guardians taking care of them.
ANA Code of ethics and the dilemma
The teenager patients needs to be informed about the condition, while the conditions to know about the options available to manage the situation. However, there is a risk that the patient may be dissatisfied with the treatment options available. The healthcare workers are then to maintain confidentiality and privacy of the information while deciding on the best course of actions. The disclosure of patient information is based on trust, given that there is an expectation that the information will only be disclosed when there is agreement on who can get hold of the information (Fry, Veatch & Taylor, 2011).
Nurses get hold of confidential information about the cancer diagnosis of teenager patients should review the right of privacy, confidentialit...