This module was developed by Anne O'Neil For additional background on Dr. O'Neill, select the name.
All nurses, particularly advance practice nurses, are on the frontline of patient care issues. This is especially true when we speak of eldercare. It is you, the nurse, who sees the patient when they first come to the clinic. It is you who sees them during their stay, through day and night, in hospitals or nursing homes. And it is you who visits the elder patients in their homes.
Throughout your education, you've learned how to assess and care for the elderly patient. One area in which you may need additional preparation is how to cope with the ethical concerns that arise as you care for the growing number of older persons.
The purpose of this module is to provide you and other advanced practice nurses with a basic knowledge of ethical theories, principles and resources available to assist you when ethical concerns arise with your elder patients. This module will also provide you with the necessary ethics terminology and concepts to enable you to participate in discussions about such ethical concerns. You will look at some basic ways of thinking about health care ethics, the role of the nurse in ethical conflicts, and helpful guidelines and models for approaching ethical problem-solving. Throughout the module, links will be provided to encourage further in-depth study of healthcare ethics. Along the way, you will have the opportunity to test your knowledge of the concepts and strategies presented.