Psychiatry Ethical Issues

Words: 1127
Pages: 5
Open Document
It is well known that individuals who brave the profession of nursing will without a doubt face many hardships, trying times, extensive work hours, as well as difficult decisions to make. However, many people do not know that along with all of the other trials nurses may face on a daily basis, nurses may encounter many moral or ethical dilemmas in the work place. This is even more prominent amongst nurses who dare to venture into the specialty of psychiatric mental health nursing.
A psychiatric mental health nurses duties include typical nursing duties you would see in any other medical facility. These include administering medication and treatments, checking vital signs, assisting patients with daily activities, monitoring and assisting …show more content…
It is important for any nurse entering this field to understand that it is a high stress environment. In urgent situations, nurses must be able have quick thinking and sometimes make decisions without aid of a physician (Kontio, 2010). Having this responsibility of a high stress environment often results in depression as well as burnout for some nurses (Eren, 2014). According to Eren, psychiatry has always been the most questionable field in medicine from the start. One of the most conflicting issues nurses face in this field is that of patient autonomy, that is the patient doing things for themselves and on their own free will using their own course of action (Latvala, 1998). A violation of this could be anything from a family member checking in an unwilling patient into a hospital or facility, to having to force medications or treatment on an unwilling patient, or even physically restraining or sedating patients who pose danger to themselves or others. Although all of these instances are technically legal, it is still a dilemma amongst psychiatric …show more content…
the nurses and physicians) (Kontio, 2010). For example, seclusion or restraint is only imposed on the patient as a means of last resort when the therapeutic environment is disrupted due to aggressive behavior and a nurse feels he/she or other patients may be in danger. However, ethically, it can be contradicting because in restraining or secluding the patient emotional damage, and possible physical harm that can occur, as well as the patient/caregiver trust becoming broken. In response to the study, nurses and physicians began working on implementing alternative methods to seclusion and restraint after feelings of immense guilt as well as feeling as though they had failed the patients (Kontio,
Show More

Related Documents: Psychiatry Ethical Issues

B S Paper

Caroline Jackson November 22, 2014 Business and Society Term Paper - Psychiatry v. Society Psychiatry v. Society "Okay, I'm just curious, what exactly is the difference between Adderall and Crystal Meth?" I asked the doctor sitting across from me, he shrugged and replied," technically the only difference is that Adderall is a legal form of methamphetamine and crystal meth is illegal and intended for recreational use." I was shocked, "so they are literally the same thing?" "Mhmm," was his response…

Words 4577 - Pages 19

What is abnormal in psychiatry? Essay example

What is abnormal in psychiatry? 2,050 words Defining the abnormal in psychiatric practice is one of the most provocative endeavours. The topic has been always regarded as a challenge and the pros and the cons have been thoroughly examined over the years. In the recent years the dilemma has been more hotly debated because of the proposed changes of criteria in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). How do ordinary people perceive the difference between normal…

Words 2100 - Pages 9

Suicide and New York Essay

suicidological research we face a number of challenges – conceptual, theoretical, methodological, ethical, and political challenges (Hjelmeland, 2010). One of the most important challenges, and the one to be discussed here, might be the current “biologification” of suicidology. Among other sciences, psychiatry is one of the most prominent premise providers for suicidology; and there is no doubt that psychiatry, as well as behavioral sciences, have recently developed in a more biological direction (Brinkmann…

Words 2958 - Pages 12

Duty to Warn Essay

Duty to Warn Jessica Hall PSYCH/545 09/4/2011 Dr. P. Duty to Warn The ethical dilemma I wish to explore is The Duty to Warn. This refers to the duty of a counselor, therapist to breach one of the most important bonds between a client and a therapist; the law of confidentiality. The therapist has the right to break confidentiality without the fear of being brought up for legal action. If the therapist believes that the client poses a danger, or is a threat to himself, someone else, or society…

Words 1506 - Pages 7

Personal Code Of Ethics Essay

Everyone has some kind of ethical code they follow; whether it be personal, religious, or professional. Right now, I have a personal code that I follow; but in the future I will have a professional one as well. A code of ethics in psychology may have many principles, but it is put in place for one specific reason; which to protect clients. The ethical code is like a guideline to keeping a client safe. This is why they are of the utmost importance. They make sure that clients have informed consent…

Words 922 - Pages 4

Hcs 405 Research Paper

shall support access to medical care for all people. This principle becomes an ethical dilemma, however; in our currently divided system in which those without insurance are not provided the same access to health care as those with insurance. Health care providers are continually obligate to balance the increasing need for cost containment and appropriate allocation of medical resources with their professional ethical obligation to “regard responsibility to the patient as paramount” when making clinical…

Words 1149 - Pages 5

Outside Providers Case Analysis

(2015). Case studies in abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Halmi, K. A. (2005). The multimodal treatment of eating disorders. World Psychiatry: Official Journal Of The World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 4(2), 69-73. Halmi, K. A. (2013). Perplexities of treatment resistance in eating disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 13(1), 1-12. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-13-292 Murphy, R., Straebler, S., Cooper, Z., & Fairburn, C. G.…

Words 1654 - Pages 7

Bioethics of Deep Brain Stimulaion Essay

Modern Psychosurgery: Ethical Implications of Deep Brain Stimulation in Psychiatric Disorders Introduction Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is the most common form of electrical brain stimulation in use today. It involves surgical implantation of electrodes into the brain tissue. These electrodes are attached to an impulse generator that is placed under the skin of the upper chest. Over the past twenty years, DBS has been used successfully to reduce the symptoms associated with movement disorders…

Words 4539 - Pages 19

Essay on Final Project

for a greater understanding and usefulness of that forensic psychologist. “The American Academy of Forensic Psychology and the American Psychology-Law Society published the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist (SGFO) (Committee of Ethical Guidelines for Forensic Psychologist, 1991), which is now under revision. According to Otto and Heilbrum (2002), “The primary goal of the SGFP is to improve the quality of forensic psychological services by providing guidance to psychologists delivering…

Words 2962 - Pages 12

Assessment One Essay

place to try and decrease the amount of common misperceptions that contribute to the stigma of mental illness. Body: Point One: In depth comprehension and application of stigma issues affecting people and groups affected by mental health problems, as well as the campaign methodology and methods that attempt to address the issue. “Stigma is a form of prejudice against people with a mental illness that involves inaccurate and hurtful representations of them; in some instances those representations might…

Words 708 - Pages 3