Ebola virus

THE ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE RN PROVIDING CARE TO THE
PATIENT WITH EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE 1
THE ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE RN PROVIDING CARE TO THE PATIENT

WITH EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE

In recent years, the healthcare sector emphasizes the importance of having practical and
ethical considerations while handling various infectious diseases such as Ebola. There is various
ethical consideration resulting from questions when it comes to offering critical care to patients.
The main issues that result to the ethical obligations involve the treatment decisions regarding
therapy limitations for EVD patients (Smeltzer et al, 2004). The circumstances under which the
providers decline to care for the patient in consideration of whether it I ethically appropriate or
not is an issue of concern. The vital ethical obligation while caring for EVD patients is that no
individual is denied therapy and efforts should focus on preventing unnecessary risks. The
ethical obligations require RN to adopt the right approaches facilitating ethically justifiable,
evidence-based and rigorous decisions that are informed by nature. It is an ethical obligation for
care providers to balance their roles to a patient who is highly infectious and their duty of self-
protection (Smeltzer et al, 2004). There is an obligation that patients are provided with therapies
that lead to the best outcomes and effective risk management. It is an obligation that strict
protocols should not be breached while making decisions. It is an obligation for RN to adhere to
protocols, e.g., ensuring the patient remains in the ultra-isolation during admission and imaging
for patients is restricted. It is an ethical obligation to ensure consistency and transparency during
processes of care which should be endorsed and evidence based (Venkat et al, 2015).
The provision or withholding CPR to EVD patients in the critical stage is a factor of
consideration in ethical practices while caring for patients. The balance of the RN responsibility
for their well-being and personal safety while promoting the health of the EVD patients is an
ethical obligation emphasized (Venkat et al, 2015). Safer circumstances and environment should

THE ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE RN PROVIDING CARE TO THE PATIENT WITH
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE 2
be the center focus by the RN while performing CPR procedures on the patients. The EVD
patients deserve excellent health care from the RN. In a nutshell, transparency, adherence to
ethical obligations and balanced health operations would result in positive impacts and desired
outcomes.

THE ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS OF THE RN PROVIDING CARE TO THE PATIENT WITH
EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE 3

References

Smeltzer, S. C., Bare, B. G., Hinkle, J. L., Cheever, K. H., Townsend, M. C., & Gould, B.
(2004). Brunner & Suddarth’s Text book of Medical Surgical nursing, 10 th editions.
Lippincott, Williams& Wilkins.
Venkat, A., Asher, S. L., Wolf, L., Geiderman, J. M., Marco, C. A., McGreevy, J., … &
Escalante, M. (2015). Ethical issues in the response to Ebola virus disease in United
States emergency departments: a position paper of the American College of Emergency
Physicians, the Emergency Nurses Association, and the Society for Academic Emergency
Medicine. Academic Emergency Medicine, 22(5), 605-615.