Ethical Issues In Correctional Nursing

The article describes correctional nursing as one of the hardest jobs to keep values in such, ethically and legally in a sense of what it means to be a nurse. The reason their job is so hard is they have to set aside their feelings and view on things they don’t necessarily agree with. Whereas, nurses in a hospital setting or clinic don’t have to make or choice if they want to help a patient, they just do because it’s the duty of the nurse under the American Nurse Association. The correctional nurse has to be able to deal with incarcerated inmates every day and on a daily basis. They have to be trustworthy of the inmates who may have done something against their beliefs and religion.

In an ethical standpoint the correctional nurse have to set the tone for how they will set their ethical, legal and professional issues that nurse’s face especially in the correctional setting than a traditional medical setting. Say in a traditional medical setting on some occasions there may be a dilemma but not as often as correctional nurse’s face. They have to make decisions all the time on care of delivery, caring and advocating on behalf of patients and providing safe care however there are other ethical principles on top of a nurses work in the correctional setting such as having, “respect that uses autonomy and self-determination; doing good, trying to avoid harm; having fairness; telling the truth and remaining faithful to one’s commitment” (www.ncchc.gov ) This helps guide the nurse in making ethical decisions though the correctional nurse relates to the

Because they are in contact with inmates-patients more than any provider the law is to give them the equal treatment as any other person has rights to service. Failing to provide that service will lead to serious litigations under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments which would be a violation to the civil rights