Healthcare Ethics - Vocabulary Flashcards

100 vocabulary-style flashcards drawn from the provided Healthcare Ethics notes, focusing on key terms, concepts, and principles.

Ethics

Standards of behavior that tell us how humans ought to act; a branch of philosophy studying right and wrong conduct.

Biology

Science of life and living organisms.

Bioethics

Application of ethical principles to medicine and health care; ethics of life in biotechnology and medicine.

Health Ethics

M moral concerns in health care, standards/goals of health professions, and community responsibilities to care.

Professional Ethics

Principles governing behavior within a profession; ethical standards for professional actions.

Abortion

Termination of pregnancy; a major bioethical issue.

Euthanasia

End-of-life practice of causing the death to relieve suffering; ethical issue.

Suicide

Act of taking one's own life; ethical concern in bioethics.

Determination of Death

Criteria used to declare death, a bioethical concern in medical practice.

In-Vitro Fertilization

Fertilization of an egg outside the body; assisted reproductive technology.

Stem Cell Technology

Use of stem cells for research or therapy; raise ethical questions.

Personhood

Status of being a person with moral rights and dignity.

Human Acts

Actions consciously and freely performed by a person.

Acts of Man

Actions not consciously chosen or not free.

Knowledge (of the act)

Awareness or understanding of what the act is.

Freedom

Power to choose and act according to reason.

Conscience

Inner sense of right and wrong guiding actions.

Ethos

Greek word meaning character; origin of the term ethics.

Morality

Beliefs about what is right or wrong and the character of a person.

Philosophy

Discipline that studies life’s big questions through reasoning and reflection.

Bios (ethics etymology)

Bios = life; Ethicos = character; basis for bioethics.

Nuremberg Code

1947 code on research ethics stemming from Nazi experiments.

Belmont Report

Ethical framework for human subjects research: respect for persons, beneficence, justice.

Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Historical study that prompted Belmont principles.

Respect for Persons

Belmont principle honoring autonomy and protection for vulnerable individuals.

Beneficence

Ethical principle: act for the good of others.

Non-maleficence

Ethical principle: do no harm.

Autonomy

Right to self-determination; includes privacy/confidentiality and truthfulness.

Privacy

Right to control personal information and be free from intrusion.

Confidentiality

Protection of personal health information.

Veracity

Truthfulness in communication and disclosure.

Justice

Fairness in the distribution of benefits, risks, and costs.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

1948 UN declaration of fundamental human rights.

UDHR Article 3

Right to life, liberty, and security of person.

UDHR Article 6

Right to recognition before the law.

Health Care Ethics

Ethics concerned with the moral nature of health care, professionals’ duties, and community responsibilities.

Equity vs. Efficiency in Health Care

Balancing fair access to care with efficient use of resources.

Differences in Health Status

Variation in health outcomes across populations.

Aging Population

A demographic trend impacting access to care and elder issues.

Elder Abuse/Neglect

Mistreatment or neglect of elderly individuals in care.

End-of-Life Issues

Ethical issues around dying, including assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Beginning-of-Life Issues

Ethical issues around early development: genetic engineering, surrogacy, etc.

Allocation of Donated Organs

Fair distribution of donated human organs.

Life Organ Donation

Donating organs to sustain life (living or deceased donors).

Research in Healthcare

Ethical considerations balancing patient health with knowledge gained.

Ethical Principles in Health Care

Foundations like beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice.

Nightingale Pledge

Nursing pledge emphasizing purity, public welfare, and professional service.

Hippocratic Oath

Ancient oath guiding medical ethics and patient care.

Code of Ethics for Nurses in the Philippines (CENP)

Professional ethical guidelines for Filipino nurses.

Board of Nursing (BON)

Regulatory body that promulgates nursing ethics and standards.

Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 (RA 9173)

Enabling law governing nursing in the Philippines.

Purposes of the Nursing Code of Ethics

Inform the public, show commitment to patients, outline ethical considerations.

Inform the Public about Standards

One purpose of nursing ethics to communicate professional norms.

Professional Commitment to Public

Ethics signaling the profession’s dedication to public welfare.

Outline Major Ethical Considerations

Framework for nurses to navigate key ethical issues.

Ethical Dilemma

Decision-making problem between two morally compelling options.

Ethical Paradox

Tension where no option is clearly preferable.

Ethical Dilemma Examples

Abortion, Euthanasia, Suicide, Determination of Death, IVF, Stem Cell Tech.

Nature of Man

Inquiry into human beings, dignity, and worth.

Freedom in Human Action

Capacity to act according to reason and knowledge.

Differentiate Human Acts from Acts of Man

Human acts are voluntary; acts of man are not.

Morality of Human Acts

Moral evaluation based on object, intention, and circumstances.

Moral Determinants

Key factors: object, circumstance, and intention.

Object of the Act

What the act essentially directs the will to do.

Circumstance

Situational factors that can increase or decrease moral weight.

Intention (End in View)

The agent’s motive or goal in performing the act.

Good End vs Evil End

Good intention does not make an intrinsically disordered act right; end does not justify means.

Intrinsic Evil

Actions inherently wrong regardless of circumstances.

Consequence in Morality

Moral evaluation includes potential outcomes.

Consent of the Will

Approval of the will that makes an act moral.

Object of the Act is Good

If it conforms with reason and fulfills moral duty.

Circumstance Do Not Change the Act’s Nature

Circumstances affect morality but not the act’s basic nature.

Natural Moral Law

Objective moral law knowable by reason.

Objective Moral Law

Moral standards that are universal and rational.

Intellect

The faculty of reason used to know the good.

Will

The faculty of choice directing the act toward the good.

Consciousness

Awareness of one’s actions, reasons, and consequences.

Soul

The spiritual, non-material aspect of a person involved in acts.

Body

The physical aspect involved in actions.

Knowledge of the Act (Essential Element)

Awareness of what is being done.

Freedom (Essential Element)

Ability to act according to reason with will’s consent.

Voluntariness

Act being performed freely and with control of the will.

Moral Act

An action that can be judged as morally good or evil.

Thinking/Reason

Mental process of evaluating the good before acting.

Speech

Verbal expression as part of human actions.

Action

Physical execution of an act by the agent.

Conscience and Truthfulness

Honesty in reporting one’s actions and motives.

Object of the Act is Good When in Conformity with Reason

Moral action aligns with rational moral order.

End Does Not Justify Means

Moral integrity requires that outcomes do not excuse bad methods.

Objec­tive Principles for Nursing

Core standards guiding nursing practice.

Ethical Codes

Systematic guidelines reflecting a group’s moral judgments.

Normative Questions in Ethics

What beliefs and values are morally acceptable?

Moral Value of Privacy

Confidential information should be protected in patient care.

Reason and Judgment

Use of reason to justify moral choices.

Duty to Patients

Professional obligation to respect patients' rights and welfare.

Public Trust in Nursing

Societal expectation that nurses act ethically.

Bioethical Issues in Society

Societal debates about biology, medicine, and life sciences.

Clinical vs Research Ethics

Balancing patient care with research integrity and safety.

Consent (Informed Consent)

Voluntary agreement with full understanding of risks and benefits.

Truth-telling (Veracity)

Honest communication with patients and families.