Jack is your client and has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease – Genital Herpes. One. Question
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Jack is your client and has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease – Genital Herpes.
One day his wife visits and you observe that his wife is pregnant. In a following conversation
with Jack, you learn he has not told his wife about his diagnosis, because he states he loves her
and does not want to lose her. Jack feels that he will lose his wife if she finds out. You ask him
to talk to his wife about his health status as it could put his wife and unborn child at risk. Jack is
adamant about not telling her and states that if his wife finds out from the hospital or health
care team he will hold you personally responsible and sue you. What should you do?
Read the case scenario and begin to use the College of Nurses of
Ontario’s Ethical Framework to work through your scenario.
In teams:
Assessment/Reflection
Brainstorm your feelings about the case.
What are your personal feelings, values, beliefs, wishes, ethnocultural background?
(anger, sadness, frustration, fear, doubt etc)
What are the feelings of the other person(s) involved in the scenario? For example,
personal feelings, values, beliefs, wishes, ethnocultural background? (anger, sadness,
frustration, fear, doubt etc)
After reading the situation identify two of more College of Nurses of Ontario’s ethical values
that are brought into question or at odds. Remember an ethical dilemma occurs when two or
more ethical values are brought into question.
Client well being
Client Choice
Veracity
Fidelity (truthfulness)
Commitment to
o Client/family
o Self
o Nursing profession
o Quality work place
o Health care team
What are your professional feelings about this situation?
Support it with one of more of the College of Nurses Documents below.Planning/Options
Brainstorm a personal option or plan of action based on your personal feelings (benefits,
advantages, disadvantages).
Brainstorm a professional option – plan of action based on your professional obligations
(benefits, advantages, disadvantages) and your ethical/legal responsibility as a nurse related to
the CNO Standards, Code of Conduct, Professional Competencies etc.
Support your professional option – what College of Nurses Documents, other literature
should/could/would support what you should do – your plan to support your thoughts (see
Documents below)
Discuss why your personal option above would go against your professional obligation.
Implement
Decide and explain the option you would implement professionally and support it with CNO
information, federal or provincial legislation or Criminal/Civil law obligations.
Explain two ways you will demonstrate Leadership in this situation- Refer to the CNO’s
Professional Standard of Leadership and Ethical Practice in the Document.
Evaluate
State three additional sources that will enhance your ethical decisional-making as a nurse in the
future as a leader in nursing and client care.
Describe how this experience has increased your understanding of your ability to handle similar
situations.
Ethicshttps://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41034_ethics.pdf
Privacy and Confidentiality
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41069_privacy.pdf
Professional Standards
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41006_profstds.pdf
Consent
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/policy/41020_consent.pdf
Code of Conduct
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/49040_code-of-
conduct.pdf
Preventing Abuse
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/ih/47008_fspreventabuse.pdf
Professional Misconduct/Professional Conduct
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/ih/42007_misconduct.pdf
Guidance on Nurses’ roles in Medical Assistance In Dying
(MAID)
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41056-guidance-on-
nurses-roles-in-maid.pdf
Entry-to-Practice (new) as of September 2020
https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/reg/41042_entrypracrpn-
2020.pdf
SCIENCE
HEALTH SCIENCE
NURSING
IEPN 223
Jack is your client and has been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease – Genital Herpes. One
