Nursing: Making the Right Choice, Essay Example

The ethical principles involved in this case are twofold. First, while the currwnt situation pertains to the father being physically abusive the other issue pertains to the stepfather who has been sexually abusive to the child. Both fathers have been abusive. The child may have obligations to both of them and might be afraid of being put into foster care, which might be worse. The ethical principle pertains to the action being wrong. In my opinion the nurse is obligated to report the incident. The override obligation of maintaining confidentiality should be explained that it will be confidential, within that context. However, the nurse has a professional responsibility to disclose the wrong doing or he/she would he held liable to state sanction (Goetz, 2010).

Based on the prevailing circumstances it would appear that there are few options besides reporting. In her capacity it is reporting or requesting the services of department of children and families to intervene. DCF would report the case anyway because domestic violence of any type is a crime. In reporting the incident both men could be arrested and the child placed in protective custody. Lora’s autonomy does not in any way outweigh the nurse’s responsibility to report the abusive situation. While she is 17years old and can make decisions for herself she is not 18years of age. Besides, she resides with a parent who is the responsible guardian. In this situation I will report both fathers and let her know that it has to be done for her future safety. Also, I would encourage her to strengthen the relationship with her mother( Futures without violence, 2012).

References

Futures without violence(2012).Mandatory Reporting of Domestic Violence to Law Enforcement by Health Care Providers: A Guide for Advocates Working to Respond to or Amend Reporting Laws Related to Domestic Violence. Retrieved on October 14^th, 2015 from http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/userfiles/Mandatory_Reporting_of_DV_to_Law%20Enforcement_by_HCP.pdf

Goetz, A. (2010). The evolutionary psychology of violence.Psicothema 22 (1): 15–21.