Ethics is defined as a moral principle that distinguishes right from wrong and ultimately governs an individual's behavior. As members of the healthcare community, we have an obligation to protect the rights of every patient we care for. However, there have been times in the past, as seen in the film Miss Evers' Boys, where patients' rights were not protected and were treated unethically. The Tuskegee Study was conducted to test the effects of syphilis only on African Americans versus Caucasian Americans. This study was considered ethical by members of the government at the time, but is now a prime example of poor ethical decisions. This article will address how dignity, respect, and beneficence were lightly protected, but mostly neglected in the Tuskegee Trial. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAfter watching the movie Miss Evers' Boys, I thought that overall the movie was very well made. I think the acting was done well and had a great message. I would recommend this film to anyone entering the medical field because it places great emphasis on the importance of dignity, respect, and beneficence of every patient, as well as providing fair treatment regardless of an individual's race or ethnicity. By the time the film was finished, I was deeply saddened by the study's findings. Many of the men who participated in this study have died or developed severe mental and physical handicaps. I also thought it was unfair that the men weren't given more money for what they had to sacrifice during the trial. Likewise, I was disappointed that no member of the government had been held accountable for carrying out this terrible act of human injustice. Overall, the subjects of the film Miss Evers' Boys were all treated unfairly at the studio. Although there were some cases where subjects were shown some care and attention by the nurse, cases of negligence were much more prevalent in the study. Even though the nurse provided them with care and was there to meet some physical and emotional needs, they did not receive the care they deserved or needed. The men in the study were repeatedly deceived and manipulated. An example of this was when subjects were told they were receiving treatment for syphilis, when in reality the treatments they were receiving were useless. During this period, when the study was conducted, an effective treatment for syphilis became accessible to the world. This treatment consisted of a penicillin injection which has been shown to have a high incidence of cure rates. Unfortunately, the men involved in the study were prevented from receiving this form of treatment because the government wanted to move forward with the study. This included publishing the name of every person involved in the study in every hospital, so that they would not be allowed to receive the drug to treat them. This is an example of men being treated badly and the government's lack of confidentiality. Furthermore, the men involved in the study were not informed that they were subject to a controlled study. Individuals participating in a research study should always be aware that they are subjects, and an informed consent should be provided and signed for each individual (Bowrey & Thompson, 2014). This allows the participant to make their own choice whether or not to participate in the study and helps them know what will happen in the study (Bowrey & Thompson, 2014). In this movie, the nurse played an important role in thekeeping men involved in the study. He did this by helping men understand certain medical terminology that they otherwise would not have understood. For example, when the doctor said that the men had a bacterial infection that was spread through sexual activity and could eventually kill them, the nurse helped him explain it in an understandable way by saying that the men simply had “blood bad". ” Additionally, the nurse helped convince the men to seek treatment at the hospital. At first the men didn't want to participate because they felt the government wanted nothing to do with them because they were black. The nurse reassured the men that the government was finally taking care of black people. This reassurance caused all the men to come for treatment. The nurse also played an important role in helping with the spinal procedure. He comforted patients when they were in pain by holding their hands and distracting them from the pain. When some patients no longer wanted to receive “treatment,” he found ways to help keep them in the practice, such as by giving them money for burial services. The nurse also provided transportation and a hot meal to some of the men in exchange for the blood test. Overall, the nurse played a very important role in this study. To continue, the movie Miss Evers' Boys strengthened my responsibility as a registered professional nurse in the future. This film reminded me of the importance of maintaining each individual's confidentiality during treatment. It taught me to value each person as an individual, regardless of race or ethnicity. As a nurse of the future, I should advocate for my patients' rights and provide comforting care when my patients need it. This movie taught me that I need to be aware of unethical studies going on and what to do if I see something like this because all patients have the right to know whether they are part of a study or not. Miss Evers' Boys influences my role as a future nurse because I should never lie to my patients about their diagnoses and I should treat them to the best of my ability to help them get better. In my thoughts, dignity is defined as being worthy of respect and honor. The dignity of the individual must always be respected and protected during the treatment process in the healthcare sector. Every individual is unique and should be valued and appreciated regardless of circumstances. The environment, government, and healthcare professionals can all impact a person's dignity and make them feel compromised (Baillie, 2009). In this film the dignity of individuals was not respected and African American men were valued less than Caucasian men. This was proven when the government did not care if the African American died for the purpose of the study. The government was so interested in the results of the study that instead of helping them recover, they let the infection run its course. Additionally, the men involved in the study were not evaluated because they were not paid much for what happened to them. However, their dignity was protected in one case where the nurse raised the idea that the men should be given money to participate in the trial. Respect is the act of valuing and treating an individual justly. Individuals should always be valued and treated fairly when cared for. Respect was ignored in the movie Miss Evers' Boys because instead of being respected for participating in the study, the men were treated poorly by not even being informed that they were participating in a study. Men were looked down upon because of the color of their skin and therefore disrespected. The men were insulted when they were told that, 54(11), 1667-1675.
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