Scenario : Staff Development

As the director of staff development, you are responsible for the orientation process for new RNs. As you make rounds on the units one day, one of the new nurses says that she really needs to talk to you about a situation she has encountered in the unit. She shares that she went with a more experienced nurse to access a central port and change the dressing. The nurse did not use gloves to remove the old dressing or to place on the new one. The patient is immunosuppressed as the result of chemotherapy. This new RN also heard his wife comment under her breath, “Wow, she’s not using gloves.” She is concerned over the possible threat to the patient’s health, but doesn’t know what to do since the experienced nurse is highly respected on the unit, has been there for a long time, and often serves as charge nurse. She asks you what you think she should do or how the situation should be handled.

With these thoughts in mind:
Post your analysis of one of the four ethical situations, addressing the following:

1-Identify the scenario you selected and summarize what you would do in that situation.

2-Describe the decision-making process you used in determining your action. What ethical theory served as the foundation for your decision? What ethical principles did you apply in making this decision?

3-Briefly describe a personal experience of an ethical situation in education.

4-Analyze this situation. What theories or principles are most relevant here? What actions did you take, or should you have taken, in light of these ethical guidelines?