Healthcare as an Entitlement
Healthcare as an Entitlement
The dilemma
In the healthcare industry, nurses always play a significant role in ensuring that patients receive essential healthcare services. This is because the provision and access to quality healthcare services are critical factors, which individuals have, the right to receive. Nurses, therefore, take an oath that they will ensure that in their service; patients would be able to receive what is rightfully theirs. The dilemma, however, arises when nurses are in healthcare institutions that are not appropriately equipped. This hinders the ability of the nurses to provide quality healthcare services. On one hand, nurses have the responsibility of providing services to people who have the right to access those services. On the other hand, they sometimes operate in medical establishments that do not have effective service provision facilities.
Ethical principles at issue
Historically, the selection of nursing candidates took place on the basis of having string character traits. The acquisition of these traits by nurses took place during their education and their nursing practice. For a long period of time, the nursing profession continues to demonstrate an ethical commitment to those who have the right to access healthcare. The American nursing association has an ancient obligation to the ethical responsibility of nurses. Part of this commitment is the principle of ensuring that there is quality improvement within the nursing practice. Beauchamp (2001).
There is a reflection of this provision in several statements such as the American nurses’ association bill of rights for registered nurses. Another ethical principle with regard to the provision of rightful services to patients is the respect for human dignity. Respect for human dignity is a provision which is part of the responsibility of nurses to the public. Nurses, therefore, ought to adhere to these principles and provisions by implementing and maintaining standards and ethics of professional nursing practice. Furthermore, nurses ought to engage in establishing, planning and implementing of measures that would enable the provision of effective and ethical healthcare services.
The ethical principles, however, come at conflict due to various reasons. For nurses to be able to practice ethical standards in their profession there must be the correct environment. In some instances, nurses are unable to practice ethically due to the confines of the institutions in which they work. Nurses also have the entitlement to practice in an environment that enables them to fulfill their obligations to society. Such an environment should be able to support and facilitate ethical practice of the nurses. The environment in which they work should also be safe for themselves and the patients. Without the provision of such an environment, it would be impossible for nurses to adhere to the ethical principles. Emanuel EJ. (2000).
Current regulation at issue
Prior to health reform, most of the Americans did not receive the preventive care they require so as to keep healthy. Citizens have the right to such preventive care since it avoid or delays the onset of diseases, reduces healthcare costs and to lead productive lives. Farmer P. (2005) As a result, of the costs of accessing preventive services Americans made use of precautionary services at about half the suggested rate. However, current regulation has made it possible for citizens to access prevention services.
This is because it is affordable and requires health plans to take care of recommended preventive healthcare services without cost sharing. Such legislation is the Affordable Care Act, which is the health insurance reform legislation approved by congress and signed into law by president Obama on 23rd march 2010. Through this legislation, people are able to receive health care services for which they have a right.
Resolution to dilemma
For there to be a resolution of the dilemma, there has to be provision of a working environment that enables nurses to provide quality services. Such an environment is where nurses have the appropriate tools and equipments for the provision of quality services. Without such tools and equipments it would not be possible for citizens to receive health care services which they have an entitlement. Farmer P, (2004). Nurses have the individual and collective commitment to quality health care. Provisions of these commitments are in documents from the Nightingale pledge. Existing publications of the American nurses association which is the largest institution representing registered nurses also provide these commitments.
Aspects of the commitments by registered nurses include quality improvement, assessment and assurance. Florence Nightingale was the first individual to carry out quality studies for the improvement of health care. In order to be able to implement Nightingale’s provisions of improving health care, the most essential aspect is provision of a conducive working environment.
This resolution can lead to an addition of the code of ethics of the American nurses association. This is by adding a provision which requires nurses to provide health care services in only those institutions that have appropriate working tolls and equipments. This resolution also promotes ethical justice. By providing appropriate tools and equipments nurses would be able to adhere to their oath. Part of their oath is to do all that would enable them maintain and elevate the standards of their profession
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