This paper provides an opportunity to take an ethically difficult situation that actually did (or could) take place in health care and walk through the steps toward a solution. Along the way, the...

Running Head: Ethical Dilemma in Nursing        
Ethical Dilemma in Nursing        9
ETHICAL DILEMMA IN NURSING
Table of Contents
Section I: Ethical Dilemma    3
Section II: Ethical Theory    3
Section III: Decision Making Model    4
Support of the Decision    5
Resolution of Dilemma    6
Section IV: Relevance to Nursing    6
References    8
Section I: Ethical Dilemma
    One common ethical dilemma in the arena of nursing is the issue associated with incompetence among peers (Pozgar, 2019). In a healthcare center or a hospital, every nurse ought to be competent enough to manage the patients in an effective manner (Domantay et al., 2021). It is the basic prerequisite in nursing. However, it was later observed that one of my peers was not performing efficiently. Her method of dealing with the patients was not proper and her way of caring for them was not optimal. However, I was unable to understand the right way of resolving this particular ethical dilemma. This is primarily because reporting her incompetence can lead to the sacking of the nurse. This situation will lead to the increase in the problem of overburdening of nurses due to the issue of insufficient staffing. In addition to that, keeping the nurse can pose a threat to patient safety and welfare. Therefore, there is a significant ethical dilemma arising from this particular issue.
Section II: Ethical Theory
    For this particular case of ethical dilemma arising due to the situation of the incompetence of a fellow nurse, the theory of ethics of care can be used. The theory of ethics of care is a feminist theory that is oppositional to the theories of deontology and utilitarianism. Both these theories view the subject as unemotional. These theories perceive the notion of ethics and morality as simply rational and logical, which only focus on objectivity. However, ethics of care, on the contrary, defends certain kinds of emotions, such as care, compassion, and so on as moral and ethical (Urmson, 2020). In this particular theory, there is no dichotomy between reason and emotion. Rather these two aspects work together harmoniously. This is primarily because, certain emotions can be reasonable, ethical, and morally appropriate, thereby giving rise to the right decisions (Leget, van Nistelrooij & Visse, 2019). In a situation such as this, where there is an ethical dilemma regarding the correct way of dealing with the issue of the incompetence of a fellow nurse, this particular ethical theory can provide the best solution.
    In this particular ethical dilemma, the two aspects are extremely important. On the one hand, the problem of insufficient staffing is a major issue in the different hospitals and healthcare centers of the United States, on the other hand, the threat posed to the safety and welfare of the patients is truly concerning (Glette, Aase & Wiig, 2017). In such a situation, it is important to prioritize the emotions of care and compassion. However, the notion of care is not merely restricted to the safety and welfare of patients, it also comprises the care and compassion for fellow nurses who will be negatively affected by the removal of one nurse from the hospital. This is only because the existing nurses will be overburdened with their duties and responsibilities. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of both aspects...