Ethical Dilemmas in Occupational Health Nursing

Abstract

n recent year s, moral reasoning and ethics have received increasing attention by providers of health care services. Advances in technology, shifting economic trends, changes in societal values and roles , and the increasingly complex nature of health care services have brought more and more complex ethical dilemmas for health care providers. While

Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing

“…Ethical issues in occupational health settings are often subtle and insidious rather than overt (Rogers, 1988). Based on research, issues related to balancing costs and benefits, privacy of employee health information, truth telling, worker notification and right to know, worker health screening, substance abuse by both employees and health care providers, mandatory vaccination, workplace discrimination, professional competence and unethical or illegal acts (e.g., fraudulent credentials), and whistleblowing are challenges occupational health professionals face in an effort to protect and improve worker health (Rogers, 2001(Rogers, , 2003.…”

Perspectives in Occupational Health Nursing

“…The data in terms of illness trends Resolving the dilemmas the occupational health nurse faces in the corporate environment, whose ultimate purpose is profit, may sometimes create internal and external conflict (Rogers, 1988). For example, some occupational health nurses face the dilemma of confidentiality of employee health records when managers, as salary providers, believe they should retain access, and management has the right to fire either the employee or the nurse.…”

“…Conflicts between employer and employee related to issues of power, authority, and economics have long been recognized. However, issues such as risks of exposure to hazardous substances that result in acute and/or long-term consequences for the worker, family, and community are presenting new ethical dilemmas-dilemmas that require immediate attention (Rogers, 1988).…”

Psychiatric Emergencies in the Workplace

“…Through simple assessments, the nurse can identify employees experiencing severe depression, psychotic problems, or behavior which place them at risk for harm to self or others. Because 65% of occupational health nurses work alone (Rogers, 1988), it is important that they intervene to keep the employee from further decompensation, both personally and on the job.…”