Ethics

Intro to Nursing

metaethics

focuses on universal truths; where and how ethical principles are developed

normative ethics

focuses on moral standards that regulate behaviors

applied ethics

focuses on specific difficult issues such as euthanasia, capital punishment, abortion, and health disparities

values

attitudes, ideals, or beliefs that na individual or a group holds and uses to guide behavior

morals

provide standards of behavior that guide the actions of an individual or social group and are established rules of conduct to be used in situations where a decision about right and wrong must be made

ethics

a term used to reflect what actions an individual should take and may be “codified,: as in the ethical code of a profession

bioethics

the application of ethical theories and principles to moral issues or problems in health care

ana position statement

“the code of ethics for nurses is nonnegotiable and each nurse has an obligation to uphold and adhere to the code of ethics”

moral distress

typically described as a response to a situation when nurses are faced with ethical dilemmas but also encounter institutional constraints that limit their actions

kohlberg’s stages of moral reasoning

preconventional level, conventional level, postconventional level

gilligan’s stages of moral reasoning

1. orientation to individual survival, 2. a focus on goodness with recognition of self-sacrifice, 3. the morality of caring and being responsible for others, as well as self

deontology

from greek word deon, meaning “obligation or duty”; an act was moral if its motives or intentions were good, regardless of the outcome

utilitarianism

moral rightness of an action is determined soley by its consequence

virtue ethics

emphasizes the character of the decisionmaker

principalism

uses key ethical principles of beneficence, nonmalficence, autonomy, and justiice in resolution of ethical conflicts or dilemmas

autonomy

asserts that individuals have the right to determine their own actions and the freedom to make their own decisions

beneficence

the doing of good

nonmaleficence

the duty to do no harm

justice

equals should be treated the same and that unequals should be treated differently

fidelity

faithfulness or honoring one’s commitments or promises

veracity

telling the truth or not lying

code of ethics

a social contract through which the profession infomrs society of the principles and rules by which it functions; shapes professional self-regulation; serves as guidelines to the members of the profession

two serious ethical challenge’s in today’s socioculutral context

use of social media, substance use/abuse

patient self-determination act

a safeguard for patients’ rights, giving patients the legal right to determine how vigorously they wish to be treated in life-or-death situations, and calls for hospitals to abide by patients’ advance directives

moral courage

individual’s capacity to overcome fear and stand up for their values with awareness, despite the potential risk

utilitarianism

During a disaster, the sick and the injured were classified by severity of condition and treatment priority. The decisions are most likely applications of which ethical philosophy?

nurses’ ethical reasoning skills model

reflect, reason, and review competing values

deontology guy

immanuel kant

utilitarianists

david hume, jeremy bentham, and john stuart mill

no ethical dilemma = wrong versus right

it is clear after morally and ethically analyzing the situation there is clearly one or more wrong choices that should not be pursued and one right choice

no ethical dilemma = right versus wrong

it is clear after morally and ethically analyzing the situation there is clearly one or more “right” actions to take, and the other actions are wrong and should not bepursued

ethical dilemma = gray area with right versus right

ethical decision making requires a contextual factor analysis: -ethical principals at stake/in conflict -beliefs and values of the stakeholders - legal mandates, organizational policy, - professional code of ethics

steps in ethical decision making

1. clarify the ethical dilemma 2. gather additional data 3. identify options 4. make a decision 5. act 6. evaluate

assess

clarify the dilemma, gather additional data

analyze/diagnose

identify options

plan

make a decision

evaluate

evaluate

migration of nurses

english as second language, cultural acclimation, nursing shortages in other countries

C.O.D.E.

courage, obligation to honor, danger management, and expressions and action

utilitarianism

During a disaster, the sick and the injured were classified by severity of condition and treatment priority. The decisions are most likely applications of which ethical philosophy?