Kidney diseases have raised a paramount concern around the world following the high mortality rates involved. Patients require the services of the nurses in various perspectives to contain their conditions and especially chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Accordingly, this paper describes the ethical principles in the Code of Ethics with Interpretative Statements by the American Nurses Association document that are involved in the capstone project (Effectiveness of Kidney Smart Program in Increasing Patients Knowledge and Lowering Progression in CKD patients).
Respect for Human Dignity
One of the ethical principles involved is respect for human dignity. The principle indicates that nurses need to express respect while serving the clients which helps to establish a strong rapport with them (American Nurses Association, 2014). Ideally, the capstone project aims at increasing patient knowledge to improve outcomes. The implementation of the Kidney Smart Program, the nurses will uphold dignity and respect to the target population regardless of their backgrounds. The project upholds that the nurses should be willing to respond to the patient’s needs always.
Primacy of the Patients’ Interests
The nurses have the responsibility to allow the patients to express themselves and participate in the care and support accorded to them. The patient’s interests are listened to and complied with (American Nurses Association, 2014). The capstone project aims to use the quantitative data obtained from the patients which would allow their interests to be put into consideration. Such interests will be collected through questionnaires which will also help to assess their knowledge about kidney disease and self-management.
Contributions through Research and Scholarly Inquiry
Based on this ethical principle, the nurses are obligated to contribute to knowledge advancement and application to practice. Ideally, this relies majorly on research and scholarly inquiry to generate new knowledge (American Nurses Association, 2014). Accordingly, the capstone project researched in a hospital setting whereby 21 patients aged 35-80 years at the early stages of chronic kidney disease in comparing the outcomes of knowledgeable patients and those without disease self-management knowledge. the capstone also involves scholarly inquiry through conducting literature reviews of recent articles such as the National Kidney Foundation (2019), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2019), and other articles.
Protection of Human Participants in Research
The participants of research have the right to accept or decline the participation and should be provided with the relevant information such as the potential benefits and harms involved. Participants also need to have the assurance of the data security to make informed decisions and maintain the right to a comprehensive understanding of the intentions of the study (American Nurses Association, 2014). The project has put such a principle into consideration by informing the participants of the program’s intention to recruit them. Consent forms will also be filled by the participants who will also obtain some copies as an indication that they fully understand their rights and what is expected of them.
Protecting Patient Health and Safety by Action on Questionable Practice
Nurses should be cautious when administering services to patients not to violate their best interests through unethical, illegal, or incompetent practices. In instances where the interests of the patients have to be jeopardized, the nurse should express the concern to the involved individual in accordance with the nursing principles and the patient’s interests (American Nurses Association, 2014). In this consideration, the capstone project will confirm the existing or pre-existing medical conditions of the participants other than the chronic kidney disease to assess the dietary requirements. With such knowledge, it will be possible to avoid collisions with the medical practices of the other predicament. The project also considers the lifestyles and cultural norms of the patients in alignment with the disease. Such information will help to protect the patient’s safety in case cultural beliefs collide with the nursing practice.
Professional Boundaries
The nursing profession calls for highly confidential personalities to establish relationship boundaries. The nurse-patient relationship basically focuses on promoting and restoring the well-being of a patient while avoiding boundary violations. Based on professional boundaries ethical principles, the project indicates that the nurses will provide patient education and recommend on the relevant dietary willingly. However, the patients may express their concerns that collide with the nursing practices and the nurses are expected to assimilate them professionally. While the nurses provide education to the patients within the nursing codes and ethics, patients from different backgrounds have various concerns which may stir up further considerations. The project allows the patients the rights for expression and respect is guaranteed to such concerns.
The Environment and Ethical Obligation
Nurses are obligated with the duty to create a conducive environment that supports colleagues and others in fulfilling ethical obligations. As such, clear policies and uniform knowledge of The Code of Ethics for Nurses is vital to ensure that the delivery of services to patients is done responsibly (American Nurses Association, 2014). The capstone project implements a Kidney Smart Class that aims to provide education and knowledge of disease management. The patients will be assessed based on pre-knowledge and post knowledge to determine the impact both have on the patient outcomes. Additionally, the study takes place in the hospital setting and the participants are regular visitors to the facility, which enhances a sense of uniformity.
Generally, patients have various rights such as privacy and confidentiality in consideration of their conditions and backgrounds. In this regard, ethical principles are vital in administering medical practices to patients. The paper has elaborated on the ethical principles related to the DNP capstone project including respect for human dignity, primacy of the patient’s interests, and professional boundaries among others.
References
American Nurses Association. (2014). Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements.
Silver Spring, MD: ANA Nursing World; 2001.