A male client is seeking help in a mental health clinic for anger management problems. He voices that he is fearful that his wife may divorce him because of his anger problem, and he is willing to do "whatever it takes" to control his anger

Question

Later in the week, the client's wife also seeks assistance because she is going to divorce her husband. The nurse who is caring for both of these clients tries to decide the correct action to take. The nurse is experiencing: a. A moral dilemma
b. Value clarification
c. An ethical conflict (or dilemma)
d. A breach of confidentiality

Answer 1

C
This is an example of an ethical conflict or ethical dilemma. The nurse wants to help both clients but must maintain confidentiality for each. Use of guidelines for ethical decision making can assist the nurse in making an ethical decision. A moral dilemma is simply a dilemma associated with making a decision between right and wrong. Value clarification is a process that helps to identify an individual's values.