Question

The nurse has been assigned to care for a client recovering at home from a disabling lung infection. While obtaining a nursing history, the nurse learns that the infection is probably the result of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) contracted through homosexual activity. The nurse is morally opposed to homosexuality and cannot care for the client. The nurse then leaves the client's home. Which is acceptable regarding the nurse's actions? Select all that apply.

A. The nurse has the moral right to leave the client's home at any time.
B. The nurse has a legal right to inform the client of any barriers to providing care.
C. The nurse has a duty to protect self from client care situations that are morally repellent.
D. The nurse has a duty to provide competent care to assigned clients in a nondiscriminatory manner.
E. The nurse has the right to refuse to care for any client on religious grounds if competent care coverage is arranged.

Answer 1

Nurses have a duty to provide non-discriminatory care, and personal moral beliefs must typically be set aside. If they cannot overcome their beliefs, they are responsible for arranging alternative care to ensure patient needs are met. Educating patients on disease prevention must be done while respecting their personal views.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the question of whether the nurse's actions in refusing to care for a client on the basis of moral opposition to homosexuality are acceptable, there are several factors to consider from a professional and ethical standpoint. While personal beliefs are indeed significant, they must often be set aside in the healthcare profession to ensure that all clients receive high-quality and non-discriminatory care.

• The nurse has a duty to provide competent care to assigned clients in a non-discriminatory manner which is a fundamental tenet of nursing practice. This aspect is encapsulated in nursing codes of ethics that emphasize the importance of providing care without discrimination towards the individual's race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or any other characteristic.
• The nurse may have the legal right to inform the client of any perceived barriers to providing care; however, simply abandoning the client without arranging for alternate care coverage could be seen as dereliction of duty and potentially abandonment, which may have legal and ethical ramifications.
• Regarding the right to refuse care, a nurse may have the right, in certain circumstances, to refuse to provide care, particularly if the situation presents an actual risk to the nurse's own safety. However, the right to refuse based on religious or moral grounds typically requires that the nurse arranges for alternative competent care coverage, ensuring the client is not left without necessary support.

It is crucial for healthcare professionals to advocate for practical disease prevention and provide education on behaviors that put patients at risk for HIV or other diseases, while respecting patients' personal views. Ethical practice requires balancing respect for the patient's autonomy, cultural and moral values, with the duty to inform and protect public health.