ed. First, as the American Nurses' Association Code (2001) states in Provision 1, a nurse must practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of ever individual regardless of any considerations, including considerations regarding health problems. In the present instance, Ms. W is clearly a woman with immediate health care needs and a wide assortment of familial obligations of significance to her. While the nurse must ensure that Ms. W correctly understands her situation, this must be done with compassion and recognition of Ms. W's full spectrum of needs.
Secondly, the nurse has an obligation to do everything possible to convince Ms. W to follow her physician's advice and to inform her family about her situation and its likely affect upon them. Ethically, the nurse has an obligation to provide the family of the patient with the information that it needs to assist Ms. W in meeting her needs and planning for their own futures. Finally, the nurse has an obligation under the Code of Ethics (2001) to facilitate proper care for Ms. W by collaborating with other health professionals on the care team to ensure that they are also motivated to assist Ms. W in this time of crisis.
The situation of Ms. W is complex. Ms. W has a life-threatening cancer which, if left untreated, will inevitably result in her perhaps untimely death. Even if treated after hospitalization for evaluation, the fact that the cancer has now invaded her bone, places her at significant risk for an early death. Consequently, the nurse caring for Ms. W must, as Provision 2 of the Code of Ethics (2001) states, fulfill a primary commitment to the patient. She must also under Provision 3 of the Code of Ethics (2001, p. 1) "promote, advocate for, and strive to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient."
It is this challenge that is likely to be most difficult for the nurse caring for Ms. W. On the one hand...