Ethical Issue in Clinical Setting

Psychosocial Nursing
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Psychosocial Nursing
The client is a 26-year-old male who is a known drug user, and he has also been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. The client has been imprisoned for several years, and upon release, he is still struggling to find work and has been admitted to hospital several times for different ailments. His father passed away while still a young child and his mother was a cocaine addict. He spent most of his childhood with his grandmother. The client had been taken to rehabilitation only once, but the intervention had not worked. He is healthy and is also well-groomed.
Ethical Dilemma
Ethics is a term that is often used in philosophical discussions, and it is something that is regarded as far from what exists in ordinary life. An ethical dilemma that arose in the work setting was whether it was the right choice to provide the client with clean syringes, which was crucial as a preventive measure of spreading the HIV virus. The issue is that giving the client clean syringes could mean that we encourage him to continue using illegal drugs. If I failed to provide the syringes, then there was a risk that he would infect others. I have encountered several cases where drug users had become infected with HIV after sharing needles. This is a suitable intervention since it ensures that illegal drug users will not share their needles, reducing the rates of infections. Moreover, a dilemma arises from a conflict between the client’s behaviors and the clinician’s values. This means that if the patient seems to be at higher risk due to the use of drugs, it would be vital to report him to the agencies. However, such a step can also go against professional expectations.
The ethical principle that was involved in the current scenario is autonomy. This meant that there is a need to respect the individual’s autonomy. The rights of the client have to be protected, and in such a case, the best...