NURS-FPX4000: Developing a Nursing Perspective – Assessment 1: Applying Ethical Principles

Assessment Overview

This assessment requires you to develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional. You will apply ethical principles to describe the issues and propose a possible solution in a 3-5 page paper. The task aligns with course competencies in ethical decision-making and professional perspectives in nursing.

Context

Health care professionals often encounter ethical dilemmas that require balancing patient autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. This assignment builds your ability to analyze such situations using established ethical frameworks, preparing you for real-world nursing practice.

Task Description

Select one ethical dilemma from the provided case studies or a real-world example approved by your instructor. Describe the dilemma, identify the ethical principles involved, analyze potential solutions, and recommend one course of action supported by evidence.

Requirements

• Length: 3-5 pages, not including title and reference pages.
• Format: APA style, 7th edition, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font.
• Sources: Cite at least 3-5 scholarly sources published within the last 5 years.
• Submission: Upload to the course Dropbox by the due date.

Scoring Guide (Rubric)

Use the following criteria to understand how your submission will be evaluated. Aim for Proficient or Distinguished levels.

1. Competency 1: Apply ethical principles to a health care dilemma.
   • Distinguished: Clearly applies ethical principles and justifies their relevance with comprehensive analysis.
   • Proficient: Applies ethical principles to the dilemma.
   • Basic: Identifies ethical principles but application is unclear.
   • Non-Performance: Does not apply ethical principles.
2. Competency 2: Describe issues in the ethical dilemma.
   • Distinguished: Provides a nuanced description of issues, including stakeholder perspectives.
   • Proficient: Describes the issues in the dilemma.
   • Basic: Describes issues superficially.
   • Non-Performance: Does not describe issues.
3. Competency 3: Develop a solution to the ethical dilemma.
   • Distinguished: Develops a feasible solution with strong evidence and consideration of alternatives.
   • Proficient: Develops a solution to the dilemma.
   • Basic: Suggests a solution but lacks detail.
   • Non-Performance: Does not develop a solution.
4. Competency 4: Apply information literacy and APA formatting.
   • Distinguished: Uses credible sources effectively and formats paper flawlessly.
   • Proficient: Cites sources and formats paper correctly.
   • Basic: Uses sources but with formatting errors.
   • Non-Performance: Does not cite sources or follow APA.

In a case where a patient refuses life-saving treatment due to religious beliefs, the nurse must balance respect for autonomy against the duty to promote beneficence. Applying the principle of justice ensures that care decisions do not discriminate based on personal values. A recommended solution involves interdisciplinary consultation to explore alternatives that honor the patient’s wishes while minimizing harm (American Nurses Association 2021, https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/). This approach fosters trust and upholds professional standards.

Course: NURS-FPX4000 Developing a Nursing Perspective

Term: Winter 2026

Weight: 25% of final grade

Due Date: End of Week 4

References

• American Nurses Association, 2021. Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements. Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association. Available at: https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/.
• Beauchamp, T.L. and Childress, J.F., 2019. Principles of biomedical ethics. 8th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190640873.001.0001.
• Grace, P.J., 2022. Nursing ethics and professional responsibility in advanced practice. 4th ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Available at: https://www.jblearning.com/catalog/productdetails/9781284248326.
• Milliken, A., 2018. Ethical awareness: What it is and why it matters. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 23(1). DOI: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol23No01Man01.
• Ulrich, C.M. et al., 2020. Ethical challenges experienced by clinical research nurses: A qualitative study. Nursing Ethics, 27(1), pp.172-184. DOI: 10.1177/0969733019829854.