Ethical Dilema

Running head: ETHICAL PAPER

Ethical Dilemma

Christina Romasanta

Georgia Southern University

JR II

Ethical Dilemma

During my mental health rotation at John’s Place, I encountered an ethical dilemma. John’s Place is a center for detoxification and rehabilitation for those who have abused alcohol or any other mind-altering drug. In the stabilized side of the unit, the consumers go through and participate in various forms of group therapy.

One morning, for group therapy, the counselor was going to show a movie on ways to overcome temptations. Already this counselor seemed uninvolved and uninterested in the movie and the consumers. Before playing the movie, the counselor stated, “I’m about to play a movie on life skills, but you guys can use this time to take a nap.” After this comment was made, some of the consumers did in fact take a nap, while another consumer sat directly in front of the television shuffling a deck of cards. These consumers are in need of help and motivation, and because of the counselor’s attitude toward treatment, the consumers then became very apathetic towards the treatment.

Group therapy consists of consumers expressing their feelings and emotions with the aid of a counselor. The counselor’s role is to therapeutically help facilitate treatment for these consumers. I believe that the counselors should be there to motivate the consumers in all the therapeutic treatments, such as the movie, that they do. I felt discouraged myself to even watch the movie. There was a lack of motivation for the consumers to watch the movie due to the lack of support of the counselor. The movie itself was actually quite informative and if the comment made by the counselor would not have been made, I believe there would have been a much better response and attitude toward the movie. I really felt the comment made by the counselor was very inappropriate.

The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses states that “The nurse, in all professional relationships, practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual…” (Mohr, p. 134). This code was violated by the counselor, jeopardizing the rights of these consumers. He was unprofessional by making unnecessary comments that were very unsupportive of the treatment that he was giving to the consumers. He was very uncompassionate just by evidence of his non-verbal actions as well.

The nurse “determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care” (Mohr, p. 134). The counselor did not delegate the task of watching the therapeutic movie on life skills appropriately when he said that that time could be used for nap time. This could have been very beneficial for many, if not all, of the consumers who were “turned-off” by that remark and consequently did not take interest to the movie. There could have been important life skills that could have been important for those consumers in the future. Being unmotivated and uninterested in providing care or therapeutic techniques, and even showing it in one’s non-verbal, is not providing optimum care.

According to The Federal Bill of Rights for Mental Health Patients, patients have “The right to appropriate treatment and related services in a setting and under conditions that are the most supportive…” (Mohr, p. 127). The rights of these consumers were jeopardized because they were being treated disrespectfully. Many came to John’s Place voluntarily, meaning they had the will to undergo treatment and turn their lives around. The treatment they received was inappropriate and was not supportive at all. Their rights to have optimum support were violated.

The Federal Bill of Rights for Mental Health Patients also states that the consumers have the right to be given the “reasons why a particular treatment is considered appropriate” (Mohr, p. 127). In this case, the counselor did not give any reasons for the movie being shown. He did not state the importance, or significance, or even ways the movie could help the consumers in the future. The treatment was regarded as something of little importance.

The counselor was obviously uninterested in the treatment he was providing, but he had various options to choose from instead of making unnecessary