Ethical Consideration during Disaster - Term Paper Example

It may as well be referred to as the non-negotiable ethical standards of the nursing profession.      In the first task, the best ethical approach that the nurses need to focus on when planning for and dealing with pandemics that occur during natural disasters is the health equity code. Health is a human right as stated in the ANA code of ethics and therefore none is to be denied of his or her rights. During natural disasters especially floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, there is always a follow-up of loss of property and life, accidents, and so on, and the number of victims involved reaches thousands and even millions in worst scenarios.

This approach is the best since it prepares the nurses and health officials for such times. They are able to plan for that day by making sure there is enough or even a surplus of these medical facilities just in case things get out of hand. Such facilities include first aid kits, medicine, ambulances, and enough emergency helicopters, and also the number of nurses who will be providing the health care services.         In this line of work, there is always the chance of developing moral distress.

Moral distress is the predictable action performed in situations where someone discovers that there is a moral problem involved and needs to act on it even though it might ruin their work integrity. This situation mainly affects health officials such as nurses. At such times, nurses are put to the test and when they decide to act in accordance with their personal decisions, their actions conflict with the required processes that are to be used during these times of disasters. In this task, there are some methods needed to prevent nurses from having moral distress during their line of work.

These methods promote work integrity by making the nurses be more moral resilient. Moral resilience means the capacity of someone to sustain or keep their integrity when faced with moral complexity and distress. One way is by nurses fostering self-awareness. They should explore their thoughts and discover areas and situations that cause them to have moral distress and be willing to accept that they may be pushed into being biased or incorrect with their values. In the process of being honest to themselves, they develop and expand their abilities to deal with moral distress.

      Another way the nurses can improve moral resilience in their line of work is by developing self-regulation capacities. They should develop or train their abilities to make and uphold their moral commitments despite the fear of falling into the same situations. In self-regulation, they should be able to mindfully notice the things affecting their bodies and emotions and be able to restore balance to their bodies and feelings.    Nurses should also develop ethical competence by making sure that they live the life they desire and align their inner feelings and characters with their outward appearance.

They should be able to reason well and develop habits and behavioural patterns that reflect their inner self because there is no better person than the one inside them. In the path of finding moral resilience, health organizations should create an environment where nurses can openly speak up. It is important for nurses to find their voices and address issues that are of great concern to them and the people involved in their line of work. They should be able to speak up with clarity and confidence in the areas they feel they are able to act with integrity and areas where they feel they have to excuse themselves from the code of ethics.

    One other way the organizations can ensure their nurses have moral resilience is by offering ongoing education on matters concerning the subject of moral distress. They should be given lessons that teach them how to preserve their integrity when faced with hard situations. They should also be put into practice to test their progress as they learn to separate their personal feelings from their expectations when it comes to such situations. In the process of offering these ongoing lessons, nurses are equipped with new ways to deal with cases of moral distress and therefore they become more efficient at work.

    Another good way to help nurses deal with moral distress is through engaging with others. They should be able to notice that they are not alone in this area and therefore when encountered with circumstances that made them make a choice between their personal emotions and following the code, they share between them and encourage one another. This way, they become more and more moral resilient.  The American Nurses Association Code of ethics has helped nurses greatly in responding to natural disasters.

It has made them become more efficient in their work by helping them in overcoming challenges concerning moral distress. It has provided guidance by giving them certain lessons and morals to follow while in the process of providing health services to patients and victims of natural disasters.