Question

A registered nurse has recently been reassigned to the gynecology unit at the hospital. The nurse is strongly against abortion because of religious beliefs and contacts the nursing supervisor regarding the assignment because the unit cares for women who are undergoing abortions. The nurse is having a conflict in which area?

a. Confidentiality
b. Values
c. Social networking
d. Culture

Answer 1

The nurse is experiencing a conflict of values due to personal beliefs regarding abortions, which is a common ethical dilemma in healthcare. Care ethics promotes a resolution that embraces compassion, sympathy, and responsibility while acknowledging diverse moral perspectives.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse in the scenario is having a conflict in the area of values. This conflict arises from the nurse's personal beliefs clashing with the responsibilities of the assigned role in the gynecology unit that cares for women undergoing abortions. Care ethics suggests that by understanding all parties' views in such a situation, a mutually acceptable solution might be found that respects both the nurse's values and the patients' needs. This approach emphasizes traits like compassion, sympathy, and responsibility, which are crucial in healthcare and, particularly, in nursing. The ethics of care also highlights the importance of considering different perspectives in moral reasoning, as brought forward by feminist theorists like Carol Gilligan, who argues that feminine values and interpersonal relationships are essential in moral development and should be respected within ethical frameworks.