Disclosure Of Information-Nursing

Disclosure of Information

The health care professionals and their teams go through many ethical difficulties concerning issues of disclosure and truth-telling to their clients. It’s been a huge problem to make decisions about how, when, and whether to disclose the truth to the clients. This paper will be discussing a dilemma faced by a nurse whose client does not wish to know information that could have serious consequences for her newborn baby (Yeo & Moorhouse, 1996, p. 139). In this situation, Margaret, a 20 year old single parent, who doesn’t want to know if her child is mentally challenged because “she feels that she cannot deal emotionally with the prospect of developmental problems while at the same time going through the stresses of learning to care for a baby with feeding difficulties and seizure”. All these were very overwhelming for Margaret, so she discusses her concerns with the physician and nurse Jim, who had been taking care of Margaret since the time of her baby's birth. She tells them “if you find out the baby is mentally retarded, please don’t tell me”. On the other side, “the physician is worried that if the truth is kept from the mother about her child’s condition much longer, the consequences both for her and her baby may be serious” (Yeo & Moorhouse, p. 163, 1996). Nurse Jim is in a dilemma whether to disclose or withhold the truth about the child’s condition to the mother on the next visit. Also, this paper will discuss the core issue and peripheral issues involve; the stakeholders and their viewpoints on each possible option. Ethical principles, legislations, code of conduct and standards relevant to the situation will also be considered. After having discussed all of the above, this paper will argue a theoretical defensible position and discuss what made the situation difficult and challenging to resolve.

Core Issue and Peripheral Issues

The core issue of this situation is the timing of disclosure of information to the mother. The reason being, Margaret does not wish to know about her child’s condition and the physician is worried if the truth is withhold much longer then the consequences both for her and her baby may be harmful. Therefore, it is crucial to know the timing of disclosure of information to the mother.

The peripheral issues in this situation are: effectiveness of mother’s care for the baby while being unaware of the baby’s condition; efficiency of the mother towards baby’s care if she were “overwhelmed” upon knowing the truth; the consequences that Margaret may face by withholding the truth about her child’s condition; and jeopardizing the child’s well being if the truth is kept much longer from the mother, thus, when will the mother be ready to face the reality; or would she ever be ready to face the truth? Last but not least, the mother may have false reassurance that her baby will have a normal life if the truth is withhold.

Potential Options

The potential options to resolve this situation are: advocating the mother about what is best for her and her baby’s well-being; and/or wait for few days or weeks for the mother to be ready to face the reality of her child’s condition; or never disclose the truth by respecting her autonomy, let her figure it out by herself. However, she won’t be able to sue nurse Jim or the physician because it’s her wish not to know the truth; or reveal the truth upon her next visit to the clinic, assuring her that ongoing support would be available and to lessen the trauma by educating her about how to cope with the situation (Yeo & Moorhouse, p. 165, 1996). Also, by letting the mother know the truth, nurse Jim and physician will be preventing false reassurance that the child will have a normal life, and preventing both the baby and the mother from further harms.

Stakeholders Involved and Their Viewpoints on Each Potential Option

The stakeholders involved in this situation are Nurse Jim, the physician, the young mother, Margaret, and her first newborn baby. It is important to know all the stakeholders involved in this situation and their viewpoints on each potential option since these stakeholders involved will be affected by the decisions that will be made to resolve this ethical dilemmas.

According to the standpoint of Nurse Jim, advocating the mother would be providing her with options of not knowing or knowing the truth and letting her know the consequences of each options. Nurse Jim’s viewpoint to the second options, that is, waiting for few days or weeks before the mother is ready to face the reality of her child’s condition may not be a best option because how effectively can the mother care for the baby in those few days or weeks. Another argument to this option may be, nurse Jim may consider as a possible option since it may prove giving sometime to the mother to relax and get prepared of knowing additional information. The third potential option, that is, to never disclose the truth to the mother may be a possible option since nurse Jim wouldn’t be blamed or sued of not letting her know because she told him her wishes. Also, by withholding the truth, Nurse Jim would also be respecting the mother’s autonomy. Nurse Jim’s viewpoint to the potential option of disclosing the truth upon next week to the mother may be a possible option since he would be preventing false reassurance of the mother that her baby will have a normal life and promoting well being for both the mother and the child. Another argument to this option would be that by disclosing the truth in the next week may cause the mother tremendous distress and harm to the baby.

According to the viewpoint of the physician, advocating the mother would be providing her with options of not knowing or knowing the truth and letting her know the consequences of each options. Physician’s standpoint to the second options, that is, waiting for few days or weeks before the mother is ready to face the reality of child’s condition is not the best option because how effective can the mother care for the baby in those few days or weeks. The physician doesn’t want any serious consequences causing the baby’s and the mother’s well-being, and by withholding the information may cause serious consequences to the baby’s and mother’s well-being. According to the potential option of disclosing the truth to the mother upon next visit would be an appropriate