In the realm of healthcare, where compassion meets complexity, ethical dilemmas often arise — challenging the very essence of care. From end-of-life decisions to capacity assessments, from advocating for a vulnerable patient to managing your own emotional response to a difficult shift, the work is never simply technical.
Three rules help us at Aston when our nurses bring an ethical dilemma to us:
One — pause. Almost every difficult decision is made worse by haste. Take five minutes, sit somewhere quiet, and write down what you're seeing.
Two — escalate. You're not alone. Your consultant, the ward manager, your professional body, the safeguarding lead — there's always someone whose job it is to help you carry this.
Three — document. Whatever you decide, write down what you saw, what you considered, and why you chose what you chose. Future-you will thank present-you.