Rita Truex, Module 7
Meetoo, D. (2009). Nanotechnology: Is there a need for ethical principles? British Journal of Nursing, 18(20), 1264-1268. Retrieved from CINAHL
This article examines whether a new ethical framework is necessary
to guide nurses as nanotechnology emerges as a revolutionary technology in
healthcare. It is an interesting article as the author finds that there are few
citations that deal specifically with nanotechnology and ethics, which causes
concern among some in the healthcare professions. Describing the potential ethical
concerns of privacy and harm, Meetoo (2009) found that the principlism’s ethical
constructs autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and justice as applied to
bioethics were still apropos to the potential nanotechnology concern.
Nurses are familiar with these constructs as these are embedded in
the Nurses Code of Ethics (American
Nurses Association [ANA], 2001) along with many constructs from virtue
ethics and feminist ethics. I agree with the author that the implications for
nursing practice include being involved in the discussion as issues related to
nanotechnology arise and to learn to apply our code of ethics to
nanotechnology. Whatever technology may arise in the future nurses have a sound
basis for delivering ethical care based on the aforementioned principles, while
our unique focus on patient relationships, advocacy and caring makes us ideal
candidates for determining policy approaches to this emerging technology.
References
You bring up a good point Rita with regards to the ethical decisions nurses need to make regarding nanotechnology and many of the new technological advances like, genomics, and molecular profiling. Many things are changing for the daily hospital nurse and they will need to be educated and updated on how these new trends impact patient care. This will affect new nurses and the nursing school curriculum. They will need to inform these nurses of the potential ethical dilemmas they may be faced with in providing patient care. "Nurses are on the forefront of care, and therefore will participate fully in genetic-based and genomic-based practice activities such as collecting family history, obtaining informed consent for genetic testing, and administering gene-based therapies. This new direction in healthcare calls for all nurses to be able to effectively translate genetic and genomic information to patients with an understanding of associated ethical issues," (Lea, 2008, para. 1)
ReplyDeleteReferences
Lea, D. H. (2008). Genetic and genomic healthcare: Ethical issues of importance to nurses. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 13(1), Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/vol132008/No1Jan08/GeneticandGenomicHealthcare.html