HLT51612 Diploma of Nursing
HLTEN509B Apply Legal & Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice

Ethics assignment
Your answers should be in full sentences (no dot points) and referenced appropriately. You cannot write your response in first person (no “I”) or use lecture notes or a dictionary as reference source material. Ensure that you read the submission requirements below and the attached marking guide.

Task: Read the following scenarios and answer the questions.

Scenario 1: T.J.
When T.J was born a scan showed that she lacked a large part of her brain, the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex controls thoughts, body movements, senses, speech, memory, critical thinking and many other bodily functions. No medical intervention can assist with this lack of brain cells. Most babies born with this condition die within weeks although there have been cases of some living to several years with intense care. Because T.J’s mother had decided to give her up for adoption before she was born she was now a ward of the state which means she is under the legal care of the doctors and nurses at the hospital. The nurses are responsible for her continuous care and doctors visit daily to review her condition and treatment.
T.J cannot not see or hear, control her body temperature or balance her body fluids or electrolytes. She vomits after every feed. The nurses sometimes insert a tube through her nose into her stomach (naso-gastric tube) which helps decrease the amount of vomiting, however it is one of the few events that upsets T.J leading to her unusual high pitched cry. Although normally lethargic and difficult to stimulate, T.J also cries when blood is taken for laboratory tests to test her electrolyte levels. Her temperature also drops dramatically when she is removed from the isolette for feeding and comfort measures such as cuddling.
The nurses caring for T.J disagree about the care that should be provided to her. Some nurses believe that she should be fed through the naso-gastic tube and her electrolyte levels should be monitored even if this causes her discomfort while other nurses believe she should just be cuddled and fed by bottle even if it means she is not receiving much nutrition and her temperature drops dangerously low whilst other nurses are unsure about what care T.J. should receive.

Q1. Using Kerridge’s model for ethical decision making resolve the ethical dilemma about what care should be provided to T.J. (Kerridge, Lowe & Stewart, 2011). Your answer should have an introductory paragraph and conclusion. Headings are only permitted for the steps of the model. Elsewhere full sentences and paragraphs should be used. Ensure that you address the marking guide as this is the only criteria the assessor uses to mark your paper. It is important to note that there is no need to address step 4 (consider how the problem would look from another perspective) of Kerridge’s model.
(30 Marks)
Scenario 2: Mary
Mary is 86 years old and resides in a nursing home. She is alert and has no signs of dementia. Unfortunately she is very unsteady on her feet and has a history of falls. The nurses are becoming increasingly concerned that she may injure herself seriously one day. It is highly likely that if she falls she may break her hip and may never walk again. They have spent a lot of time explaining this to Mary and she is aware of the dangers. The nurses have been asking Mary to call for help when she wants to walk but she has not been doing this as she likes to be independent. They have also organised a walking frame for her which she is reluctant to use even though she is capable of using it properly and the nurses have explained the benefits. They have also included her family in the discussions to try and persuade her to use the walking frame and call for assistance but Mary is adamant that she wants her freedom. They have now suggested to Mary that when she sits down she wears a belt which is tied to her chair. The nurses hope this will remind her not to get up without asking some-one to walk with her and will also prevent her from getting up unaided. Mary objects. She is unwilling to give up her ability to move about the nursing home as she chooses. In desperation a nurse tells Mary that she must use the belt as it is a new rule of the nursing home (this is not the case). Mary reluctantly agrees to wear the belt because she is scared of the consequences of breaking the rules. The nurses are very relieved.

Q2. Discuss the nurses actions in this scenario and whether they meet the guidelines as outlined in the NMBA Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia and the NMBA Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. Your answer should have an introductory paragraph and conclusion. You are permitted to use direct quotes for each value or conduct statement but must discuss the meaning in your own words (ie; “Nurses value informed decision making (NMBA, 2008a, p.4).” This means that …………………………………….. (NMBA, 2008a) . Ensure that you address the marking guide as this is the only criteria the assessor uses to mark your paper. Make sure you consider all statements that are relevant to the scenario not just the ones that support your decision.
(24 Marks)

This assignment is worth 40% of the final mark for this unit. Total marks for this assignment is 54. A mark of 27/54 or more is required for a pass. You must pass this assignment to pass the unit. If you receive less than 16/54 or less you may not be permitted to resubmit.

Requirements for submission:

1. The assignment must be submitted electronically to the following email address maree.gault@holmesglen.edu.au by Thursday 1st May 2014 at 8.30am. Your emailed file must be named using the following format:

Your full name and your group number: e.g. Mary Smith A14

Do not label your file “ethics assignment”. Your name and group is sufficient.


2. The assignment must also be submitted in hard copy in the assignment box or at the office by Thursday 1st May, 2014 at 8.30am. The Holmesglen assignment cover sheet must be completed, (signed, student number, group number) and attached to the front of the assignment.

3. The Ethics assignment marking guide must be submitted with the assignment.

4. It is not acceptable to submit work in only hard copy or only electronically. Any students work not submitted both electronically and in hard copy will not be marked and will be considered late until both copies are submitted.

5. You must not write in first person (eg. I believe) or use lecture notes as reference source material.

6. Students must keep a copy of all work submitted.

7. The maximum mark for a resubmitted assignment is 50%.

8. All reference and source materials must be accurately cited using APA referencing. Do not use unacceptable websites (eg. Wikipedia, Nurse Bob, UKessays) as the information is unsubstantiated and not produced by a recognised and reputable organisation or published author.

9. Plagiarism is not acceptable. The laws of copyright mean that you cannot copy, or cut and paste text from resource material. The essay must be in your own words and must be referenced appropriately when you have taken your ideas from another source. Direct quotes must be kept to the absolute minimum and must be referenced appropriately.

10. Students will be penalised for late submission and will only be accepted up to 5 days after the due date.

11. The assignment should be between 2000 and 2600 words. You must include a word count. The word count does not include your reference list or in-text citations.

12. The following references must be used and at least two other books.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2008). Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia. Canberra, Australia:Author.

Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2008). Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. Canberra, Australia:Author.

13. The assignment must be typed in Arial size 12. Double line spacing is required.