International Centre for Nursing Ethics Return to ICNE INDEX
TRUTH-TELLING & HONESTY
Geoff Hunt, University of Surrey, 2000
See also the UKCC's Guidelines for professional Practice, 1996, secs. 24-25 on 'Truthfulness'.
Case Study:
Mrs. P on her first visit as an outpatient is insistent during the last few minutes of her session with Dr. T that he give her some medicine for her nerves and for the vague, localized pains which she describes. He feels that there is no medical reason for her to have medication but judges that if he refuses her request outright then a productive interview will end on a sour note. He believes strongly in not administering active drugs when there is no medical reason for doing so; therefore, he writes her a prescription for a week’s supply of a placebo and makes a note on her file to discuss the issue of medication with her in detail at her next appointment. (Taken from: GC Culver, ‘Paternalistic behaviour’ in M Cohen et al, Medicine & Moral Philosophy, Princeton UP, 1981.)
Discuss the rightness/wrongness of the doctor's action.
Consider truth-telling in relation to the following themes:
Presumption in favour of truth-telling. (If there is a presumption in favour of telling the patient thetruth, what are good reasons for not telling the truth.)
Disciplinary Offences:
The UKCC's 1998-99 report on 'Frequency of Occurrence of Type of Proven Charge in Cases Leading to the issue of Caution as to Future Conduct or to Removal from the Register' gives (my selection) the following percentages of disciplinary charges which may be relevant to truth-telling issues: