Ethics

Ethics Assignment

Student Name: Bindu Sharma

Student No: 800-720-708
Nurs 217: Scholarly Assignment
Professor: Kelly Ross
Tuesday: March 31, 2015

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Introduction
This case had a hearing before a panel of Discipline Committee on February 25, 2013 at
the college of Nurses of Ontario, in Toronto. A nurse Melanie Burton (RPN) was found guilty of
an offence for stealing money from a client at the facility, of a value not exceeding $5,000, on
October 13, 2011. Burton stole money from August 24, 2011 to September 14, 2011 on seven
different occasions. All events involved stealing from the purse of a client for a total of $ 215.
The nurse is alleged to misappropriate property from a client or workplace and engaged in a
conduct which is considered disgraceful, dishonourable and unprofessional. The professional
misconduct by the nurse is theft. The client was an elderly, with short-term memory loss and was
completely vulnerable in this situation. The clients daughter had noticed that money was
missing from her mothers incidental purchases fund on a regular basis. The daughter then put a
video camera in her mothers room, and Burton was caught stealing on the video. The nurse
solely responsible of her professional misconduct behaviour. Burton had no prior disciplinary
history recorded in college. The contributing factors are that shes a mother with financial
difficulties.
The decision of the discipline committee is for the nurse to be reprimanded within three
months of the date that this order becomes final. The Executive Director is directed to suspend
certificate of registration for four months. The nurse will attend two meetings with a nursing
expert at her own expense and within six months of the date of this order. For a period of 24
months from the date the member obtains an active certificate of registration and returns to
clinical nursing practice, the nurse will notify her employers of the decision. The documents
delivered by the nurse to the college, the expert or the employer(s) will be delivered by verifiable
method of delivery, the proof of which the nurse will retain. I agree with the decision. Clients

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and the family trust nurses for their well- being. Nurses are expected to have therapeutic
relationships with clients. The nurse should be reprimanded for her unprofessional misconduct.
The decision will make Melanie Burton realise her professional misconduct behaviour. It will be
a learning lesson for her and remind her not to repeat these actions.
Ethical values contravened
According to Kelly and Crawford (2013) a professional code of ethics is a code to
which a professional must adhere as a part of their responsibility and duty. A nursing professional
is expected to adhere to professional code of ethics. Kelly and Crawford (2013) states , The first
section of the newest revision of the CNA code of ethics situates the ethical expectations of
nurses practising in Canada around seven primary values or responsibility ( p. 415). In this
case the ethical values contravened by a nurse are maintaining commitments to clients,
maintaining commitments to oneself, maintaining commitments to the nursing profession and
truthfulness. Nurses means the caring person. Caring in a nursing profession is a huge umbrella
as it covers many factors. CNO practice standard of Ethics (2009) states Nursing is therapeutic
relationship that enables the clients to attain, maintain or regain optimal function by promoting
the clients health. Nurses should be committed to clients, themselves and to the interprofessional health team. Nurses are expected to be leaders. Their focus should be the clients
well-being and providing quality care to the clients with honesty and truthfulness.
First allegation of the nurse is guilty of an offence. CNO reference document
Professional Misconduct (2013) states it is an offence that is relevant to a nurses suitability to
practise to nursing amounts professional misconduct. The ethical value contravened is
maintaining commitments to oneself. As a child we learn values from our parents. As we grow
we develop our own personal values and beliefs. Kelly & Crawford (2013) states, Values arise

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from our familial, cultural, religious, and educational experiences and can change over time as
we develop our moral selves and, in doing so, become more autonomous (p. 416). We might
have a different belief than the one we were taught. The values an individual with a good
behaviour consists of being respectful, caring, kind to others and not being harmful to peers.
Nurses should be true to themselves when incorporating their belief system and values. A nurse
should focus on their values and be fully committed to ethical care. According to CNO practice
standard of Ethics (2009) nurses demonstrates a regard for maintain commitments to themselves
by: clarifying their own values in clients situation and identifying situations in which a conflict
of their own values interferes with the care of clients. In this case, the nurse was found guilty of
stealing money from a vulnerable client in a facility. The standards of practice are ignored by the
nurse.
Second allegation is misappropriate property from a client or workplace. The
nurse contravened maintaining commitments to clients. Clients rely on nurses for their safety,
effective and ethical care. A nurses role is to respect the choices of a client and act in the best
interest of clients. Client wishes and standards of practice should be maintained by nurses.
Nurses are not only committed to the clients, they are required to be committed to family
members, friends and loved ones of the client. According to standard of practice, nurses are
refrained from abandoning, abusing (physical, emotional, verbal and financial abuse) or
neglecting clients. Nurses are expected to provide empathetic and competent care. When a nurse
is fully committed to their profession, a client can sense that in few hours from when they
receive care. Clients tend to be comfortable and relaxed with the presence of a caring nurse
around them. CNO practice standard of Ethics (2009) states, Nurses demonstrates a regard for
maintaining commitments to clients by advocating for maintaining quality client care and

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making all reasonable efforts to ensure that client safety and well-being is maintained during any
job action. A nurses responsibility is to make sure clients keep their money and other valuable
items safely. If there is any concern, she should advise the family member not to leave the
valuable items with the client. In this case nurse is taking advantage of the clients short term
memory and stealing money from the clients purse. Nurses should follow the standards of
practice. The nurse should provide safe and adequate care to clients. CNO reference document
Professional Misconduct (2013) states, professional misconduct occurs when these standards
are breached.
In addition, the nurse is alleged to engage in conduct, relevant to the practice of
nursing, that having regard to all circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as
disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional. Maintaining commitments to nursing profession is
contravened. Nursing is a self-regulated profession. Nurses are respected and trusted by clients/
public. This is a nurses duty to be committed to the nursing profession and act in a manner of
continuity to maintain the trust and respect of the public. The standard of nursing profession is
the main guiding tool for nurses to conduct in a positive professional manner. This is a nurses
responsibility to reflect well on profession and promote the growth of their profession. As stated
in CNO practice standard of Ethics (2009) nurses are accountable for their action and behaviour.
In this case the trust is abused by stealing money. The client was in a vulnerable stage with short
term memory and the nurse was dishonest to the client and family. The nurse shows disgraceful,
dishonourable and unprofessional conduct.
Lastly, ethical value truthfulness is contravened. Nurses should be honest to clients.
Nurses should not act in a manner that deceives the client. Deceiving a client by stealing money
is professional misconduct. Therapeutic relationship is based on trust between nurse and client.

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CNO practice standard of Ethics (2009) states honesty builds trust, which is essential to the
therapeutic relationship between nurses and clients. CNO practice standard of therapeutic nurse
client relationship (2006) states, the therapeutic nursing services contribute to clients health
and well-being. The nursing care should be client centred care.
Strategies
My first strategy is the facility should have a strict policy when a client has short term
memory. The money of these patients should only be handled by a family member. In a case
where there is no family member, the social worker or authoritative nursing staff should keep the
money with an expense sheet record. This will prevent nurses to be dishonest. The nurse will
have no opportunity to betray a client with short term memory.
Second strategy is to better the working conditions. Video cameras should be installed in
clients room. All activities by nurses will be recorded in the video. This will prevent
professional misconduct by nurses. When the nurse will be under observation, they will act in a
professional manner while providing care to the client or doing any other activity in the clients
room.
Conclusion
This case was heard on February 25 in 2013. The nurse Melanie Burton stole money from
a vulnerable client. She stole $ 215 on seven different occasions from the purse of client who has
short term memory. Clients daughter found money missing and decided to put a camera in her
mothers room, where the nurse was caught on camera stealing money. The allegations against
the nurse is guilty of an offence, misappropriated property from a client or workplace and her

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professional conduct is disgraceful, dishonourable, or unprofessional. Stealing money from a

client is simply unacceptable.
The decision of the discipline committee is for the nurse to be reprimanded within three
months of the date that this order becomes final. The Executive Director is instructed to suspend
the certificate of registration for four months. The nurse will attend two meetings with a nursing
expert at her own expense. For a period of 24 months from the date the member obtains an active
certificate of registration and returns to clinical nursing practice, the nurse will notify her
employers of the decision. I agree with the decision of the nurse being reprimanded. Clients and
their family trust the nurses for their well- being. The decision will make Melanie realise her
professional misconduct behaviour. It will be learning lesson for her not to repeat any
professional misconduct. As she knows the consequences of her misconduct. In this case the
ethical values contravened by nurse are maintaining commitments to clients, maintaining
commitments to oneself, maintaining commitments to the nursing profession and truthfulness.
Kelly & Crawford (2013) stated, Values are personal beliefs about the truth of ideals, standards,
principles, objects, and behaviour that give meaning and direction to life (p. 416).
The two strategies recommended by myself are: Frist strategy is facility should have a
policy where family handles the money of a client who has short term memory. In a case where
the client has no family, the social worker or nursing authority staff should keep a record of the
money with an expense sheet. Second strategy is working conditions video camera should be
installed in clients room. The nurses will be under observation when they will be in the clients
room. This will prevent professional misconduct. Nurses should be reprimanded for their
professional misconduct.

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Reference
College of Nurses of Ontario. (CNO). (2009). Practice Standards: Ethics. Retrieved
March 12, 2015 from www.cno.org
College of Nurses of Ontario. (CNO). (2013). Reference Document: Professional Misconduct.
Retrieved March 10, 2015 from www.cno.org
College of Nurses of Ontario. (CNO). (2006). Practice Standards: Therapeutic Nurse Client
Relationship. Retrieved March 10, 2015 from www.cno.org
Kelly, P. & Crawford, H. (2013). Nursing Leadership and Management, (2nd.ed.)Toronto:
Education