Autonomy and respect: Do we really care?

Ehtics are determined by codes arranged by many agencies to include the American Nurses Association. We discuss respect for human life and dignity, beneficence, autonomy, and justice. We are to be compassionate and respectful of the dignity of others lifes.
This is where things get more difficult. Each person we are to respect and provide dignity for will vary from us. We have societal ethics, laws, we must adhere to and professional codes we are to uphold. We work in areas with short staffing, diversity of both clients and peers, longevity, and in an ethical mine field. We must make decisions and need decision making framework to proceed through this mine field.
Situations such as :
      The placing of a catheter in a client to obtain a specimen when she is terrified. She can and does refuse but  is considered incompetent and the family is deciding. It must be done, correct? What of the staff can they be forced to participate?
      A patient with an old issue with addiction has a serious injury. Pain medicine is ordered. The patient has questions regarding the addictiveness of the medicine but is in servere pain. Do you medicate now and discuss stopping the medication later.
     A more difficult patient, female and in and  out of the hospital. No determined issue but severe abdominal pain, the doctor orders a variety of medications. She is demanding and rude and constantly complains of pain. You can not be one minute late with the medicine. The floor is short on the night shift and she starts. The morning nurse comes into find her almost in a coma and after much effort the patient is transfered to the ICU. The night nurse reported letting the patinet have "everything" the doctor had ordered for her. Who is responsible for what happened? The report showed the patinet awake and pushing the buttons up to about an hour before she slipped into the coma. Could more people then the night nurse be responsible? No calls were made indicating the pain was not controlled with one medication at a time. There were limits on which medicatins could be given together and others had been given. She was alert and demanding medication for comfort.
      Something I have not heard addressed, except by a peer with a relegious preference, is things like having a Muslim feed a patient pork, a vegan feed a person meat, and the like. We are to provide for our patients and some situations are seperate. I object to one procedure but have not ever taken a job where I would be exposed.
Thinks to think about.

                                                                Reference

Hamilton, P. M. (2009). Pain Management: Ethical and legal issues. Retrieved from http://www.nursingceu.com/courses/278/index_nceu.html

HEATINCca, (2010, May 12, 2010). Ethical issues in nursing- Respect: Dignity, autonomy, and relationships. [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GxuvKRL7ks