Class 1: Ethics

Process of critical thoughts and actions which deal with right and wrong.

Accepted set of social standards

A set of guiding principles that all members of a profession accept.

Refers to freedom from external control.

Refers to taking positive actions to help others.

Moral duties are self-evident, needing no further justification. Moral action is then based on acting according to a specific duty simply because it is the right thing to do. (Good vs. Bad)

A common teleological theory that assumes that a moral action is one that results in the greatest good for the greatest number. (Effect)

True

Personal beliefs about the truth and worth of behaviors, thoughts, and objects.

Interpretations of conclusions that one accepts as true.

A method of ensuring that the action we take is well-reasoned and can be justified.

Involves a problem for which in order to do something right, you have to do something wrong.

• Abortion

• Assisted reproduction

• Confidentiality

• Genetic testing

• Advance directives

• Organ allocation

• Conflict of interest

• Patient safety

• Use of restraints

• Allocation of research funding

• Medical marijuana

• Drug shortages

• Opioid abuse

Refers to faithfulness or the agreement to keep promises.

The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; the state of being whole and undivided.

Concerns truth telling and incorporates the concept that individuals should always tell the truth.

Refers to fairness and the distribution of resources as well as treating people equitably, fairly, and appropriately.

Refers to the avoidance of harm or hurt.

Maintains that human beings have an unconditional moral worth that requires us to treat each individual person with great value, dignity, and respect.

Moral duties are seen as self evident, needing no further justification. Moral action is then based on acting according to a specific action simply because it is the right thing to do.

Moral actions are defined entirely on the basis of the outcomes or consequences of an action.

True

The different dimensions of ethics:

• Societal ethics

• Organizational ethics

• Bioethics/clinical ethics

• Professional Ethics

• Personal Ethics

• Serves the larger community.

• Laws are the minimum standard of behavior.

• Involves a set of formal and informal principles and values that guide the behavior, decisions, and actions taken by members of an organization.

• Directs all aspects of an organization from its’ mission to how it treats clients.

• Refers to the ethical standards and expectations a particular profession.

• Some are held to a higher standard than others.

• Offer general guidelines that are aimed at the highest ideals of practice.

• Deals broadly with ethical questions surrounding the biological sciences, emerging healthcare technologies, and health policy.

• Involved primarily with decision-making at the bedside and other patient-specific issues.

• A specialized field within bioethics that examines the ethical conduct of research using human subjects and animals.

• Describes an individual’s own ethical foundations and practice.

• Continuously intersects with the other categories of ethics, but do not perfectly overlap.

• Family

• Cultural practices

• Education

• Peers

• Religion

• Profession

• Society

• Personal experiences

The process of obtaining permission from a patient to perform a specific test or procedure after describing all risks, side-effects, and benefits.

• Document consent

• Explain nursing procedures

• Ensure patients have their questions answered

• Telling a patient their med is one thing when it isn’t so they’ll taken it.

• Gossiping about another patient’s diagnosis in the lunchroom.

• Prioritizing an “easy” patient over a more complicated case.

• Prolonging a painful treatment for no medical reason.

1. The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person.

2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or population.

3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and safety of the patient.

4. The nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for nursing practice; make decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to provide optimal patient care.

5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity, maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.

6. The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.

7. The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of both nursing and health policy.

8. The nurse collaborates with the other health professionals and the public to protect human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.

9. The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations, must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.

True

• Becoming aware of your own values and ethical aspects of nursing.

• Becoming familiar with the nursing code of ethics.

• Seeking opportunities for education.

• Respecting values, opinions, and responsibilities.

• Participating in or establishing ethics rounds.

• Serving on ethics committees.

1. Is this an ethical problem?

2. Gather info relevant to the case.

3. Identify ethical elements in the situation by clarifying values and recognizing the principals involved. Distinguish between fact, opinion, value.

4. Name the problem.

5. Identify possible courses of action. Access others for their input and be creative.

6. Create/implement an action plan.

7. Evaluate.