Advocacy
protection and support of another's rights
Autonomy
self-determination; being independent and self-governing
Beneficence
principle of doing good
Bioethics
ethics that encompass all those perspectives that seek to understand human nature and behavior, the domain of social science, and the natural world number of fields and disciplines grounded broadly under the rubric of "the life sciences" -What kind of person should I be in order to live a moral life and make good ethical decisions? -What are my duties and obligations to other people whose life and well-being may be affected by my actions? -What do I owe the common good or the public interest in my life as a member of society?
Care-based approach
directs attention to the specific situation of individual patients viewed within the context of their life narrative
Code of ethics
set of principles that reflect the primary goals, values, and obligations of the profession
Conscientious Objection
refusal to participate in certain types of treatment and care based on the fact that these activities violate the nurse's personal and professional ethical beliefs and standards
Deontologic
an action is right or wrong based on a rule, independent of its consequences
Moral Agency
ability to behave in an ethical way; to do the ethically right thing because it is the right thing to do
Ethical Dilemma
arise when attempted adherence to basic ethical principles results in two conflicting course of action
Ethics
systematic study of principles of right and wrong conduct, virtue and vice, and good and evil as they relate to conduct and human flourishing
Feminist ethics
particular type of ethical approach popular among nurses, critiques existing patterns of oppression and domination in society, especially as these affect women and the poor
Fidelity
keeping promises and commitments made to others
Justice
process that distributes benefits, risks, and costs fairly
Moral distress
occurs when you know the right thing to do but wither personal or institutional factors make it difficult to follow the correct course of action
Moral resilience
developed capacity to respond well to morally distressing experiences and to emerge strong
Morals
like ethics, concerned with what constitutes right action; more informal and personal than the term ethics
Nonmaleficence
principle of avoiding evil
Nursing ethics
subset of bioethics, is the formal study of ethical issues that arise in the practice of nursing and of the analysis used by nurses to make and evaluate ethical judgements
Principle-based approach
combines elements of both utilitarian and deontologic theories and offers specific action guides for practice -autonomy -nonmaleficence -beneficence -justice
Utilitarian
the rightness or wrongness of an action depends on the consequences of the action
Values
set of beliefs that are meaningful in life and that influence relationships with others
Value system
organization of values in which each is ranked along a continuum of importance, often leading to a personal code of conduct
Values clarification
process by which people come to understand their own values and value system
Virtues
human excellences, cultivated dispositions of character and conduct that motivate and enable us to be good human beings