CASE STUDY: Debbie Brooks is a 32-year-old hairdressing student who recently separated from her partner of six (6) years. She is 12 weeks pregnant. You are an Enrolled Nurse caring for Debbie in the short stay ward where she has been admitted for a termination of pregnancy. Debbie tells you she would like to have children in the future but wants to finish her hairdressing apprenticeship first, which will take another three years. She is aware that the older she is, the harder it is to conceive. You know that getting pregnant after the age of 35 is difficult and older women often have high risk pregnancies with complications. Debbie is planning to freeze her eggs so she can use the in future. Debbie's former partner lives in your street and you occasionally say hi to one another.

QUESTION: Should you tell Debbie's former partner about the termination of pregnancy? Explain why, using Kerridge's ethical decision-making model.

Before I answer your question I wanted to give a scope from Kerridge's ethical decision making model.

Kerridge's ethical decision making model provides 7 steps systematic approach. It helps us to identify the ethical issues and evaluate the values of identified issues.

1.Ethical dilemma

2.Identify facts

3.Further information required

4.Fundamental ethical principles

5.Ethical conflict

6.Consider the law

7.Making the ethical decision

1. Ethical dilemma of Debbie brook is that she wasn't ready to have a baby for now and were admitted for the termination 

of the baby in her womb thus she wanted to finish her hairdressing

apprenticeship first.

2.Identifying the facts: The baby inside her womb is already 

12 weeks.

3.Further information required from Debbie: She is already 32 years old. She is also

aware that the older she is. the harder for

her to conceive.

4. fundamental ethical principle: In this case doing something good means provide continuous care to save the baby 

and as well as to save her from any instant life threatening conditions such as hemorrhage.

5.Ethical conflict of Debbie's case : To meet the non-maleficence principle which  means not causing harm, You as a nurse

must discontinue her plan of getting rid of the 

baby. However, from the moment her plan to terminate the baby has been restricted because of you,  the client's right to justice in terms of medical request has been breached.

6.Consider the law that lies in your specific country: You as a nurse you must also remind Debbie regarding the law governing in your country. Does terminating a baby inside the womb of a mother is even legal? or the government authorities and the 

medical team are involved in decision making for treatment?

lastly 7. Making the ethical decision

Nurse's ethical dilemmas continuously occur as long as values are in conflict with each other. Therefore it is important that nurses consider legal and ethical aspects of standards of professional behavior. I believe that meeting the beneficence principle outweighs the non-maleficence and justice. Nurses or any medical practitioner respect the dignity of people and uphold a competent care.

Basically You shouldn't be intervening in Debbie's private life or any of her life decisions. It is her right and her personal choice if she wants to tell her ex about the termination of the baby. And a woman may make the choice to terminate a pregnancy, even if the alleged father objects to the procedure. The reasoning behind this is twofold, based on the woman's right to medical privacy and the fact of the female body being more directly affected by the pregnancy. You as a nurse should only follow legalities governing in your country when it comes to giving and providing appropriate healthcare needs of the patients. 

Step-by-step explanation

Nurses contribute to development of safe environment in health care to prevent event of people at risk of harm by monitoring, identifying risk factors and risk management. Nurses are expected to get into the nursing profession with skills and knowledge for providing good quality of care. In order to meet high quality of care delivering, nurses should be well-informed with nurse's legal and ethical requirements. If nurses are unaware of how to determine situation, they should seek support and consultation from senior member or relative organization.