8 - Legal & Ethical Flashcards
______ is a process of reflecting on moral beliefs.
Ethics
_________ refers to the study and analysis of ethical issues that arise in the fields of health care and biological sciences.
Bioethics
One dimension of bioethics?
Nursing Ethics
______ are strength of character that relate to habitual patterns of perceiving, feeling and behaving.
Virtues (Virtue Ethics)
Decisions determined by character?
Virtue Ethics
Contemporary health care ethics asserts that good decisions should be guided by ethical duties that require respect for persons. Principles include:
(6 - BNA VFJ)
Beneficence Non-Maleficence Autonomy Veracity Fidelity Justice
Doing good for others by listening knowing the patient, relieving suffering, advocating on pt behalf.
Beneficence
Avoiding causing physical or emotional harm by foreseeing harm, a mandate to avoid killing and to prevent suffering
Non-maleficence
T/F Non-maleficence plays heavily in day to day decisions of care.
TRUE
What might we ask in non-maleficence?
Is what I’m doing contributing to their pain & suffering?
Individual liberty and self-determination are paramount in NA society. Honoring these requires informed consent.
Autonomy
Speaking the truth is fundamental to an ethical relationship and involves avoiding lying, deception & fraud.
Veracity
T/F Self determination is possible w/o knowing the truth.
FALSE
This involves the establishment of a trusting nurse patient relationship and involves being an active presence at end of life.
Fidelity
Respect for this involves treating people fairly without discrimination and a fair distribution of community resources.
Justice
Relates to providing the greatest good to the highest number of individuals.
Utilitarian Ethics
Utilitarian ethics focus on these:
Consequences
The problem in utilitarian ethics?
Each person may have a different idea of what’s a benefit and what’s a burden.
Where we are now - these focus on moral decision making that occurs within the context of relationships.
Care Ethics
This focuses on what is good for the patient, however, it lives in the context of family or loved ones.
Family good & family harm (Contemporary health care)
Pt’s may alter their health care regimen because they can’/t afford it, understand it, or don’t like the side effects.
Non-compliance
A patient must understand information provided to make decisions.
Informed Consent
Patients must be mentally sound.
Decisional Capacity
Included in an ACD?
CWAR BU
Circumstances covered Withold/draw intervention that prolongs dying Resuscitation Artificial food & fluids Blood/antibiotics/ventilator Use of analgesics
