Chapter 3 Ethical and Legal Issues Flashcards
Define ethics.
branch of philosophy that deals with systematic approaches to distinguishing right from wrong behavior
Define bioethics.
refers to concepts within the scope of medicine, nursing, and allied health
Define moral behavior.
conduct that results from serious critical thinking about how individuals should treat others; reflects the way a person interprets basic respect for other persons, like respect for autonomy, freedom, justice, honesty, and confidentiality
Define values.
personal beliefs about what is important and desirable
Define values clarification.
process of self exploration through which individuals identify and rank their own personal values
Define right.
valid, legally recognized claim encompassing both freedom from government interference or discriminatory treatment and entitlement to a benefit or service
Define absolute right.
no restrictions on individual’s entitlement
Define legal right.
society has agreed and formalized into law
Define utilitarianism.
“greatest-happiness principle”; looks at end results of decision; the action that should be taken is whichever results in the most good/happiness for the most people
Define Kantianism.
directly opposed to utilitarianism; the principle or motivation of the action is what matters; actions are bound by a sense of duty; decisions are made to respect moral law
“I made this choice because it’s morally right and my duty to do so”
Define Christian Ethics.
treating others with the same respect and dignity with which we should be treated
Define natural law theory.
based on St. Thomas Aquinas writings; decisions of right and wrong are self evident and determined by human nature; as rational humans, we inherently know the difference between good and evil
Define ethical egoism.
what is right and good is what is best for the individual making the decision; only considers the individual making the decision and what is the most advantageous to them
Define ethical dilemma.
situation that requires individual to make a choice between two equally unfavorable alternatives
Define autonomy.
arises from Kantianism; people are independent moral agents whose right to determine their own destinies should always be respected
Define beneficence.
one’s duty to benefit or promote the good of others
Define nonmaleficence.
requirement that healthcare providers do no harm to their clients, intentionally or unintentionally; abstaining from negative acts toward another; acting carefully to avoid harm
Define justice.
based on the notion of a hypothetical social contract between free, equal, and rational persons; duty to treat all individuals equally and fairly
Define veracity.
one’s duty to always be truthful
What model/steps should be used to make ethical decisions?
Assessment: gather objective and subjective data; consider personal values and values of others involved
Problem Identification: identify the conflict between two or more alternative actions
Planning: weight benefits and consequences of alternative actions; consider ethical theories; select action
Implementation: act on decision made and communicate decision to others
Evaluation: evaluate outcomes
What rights do patients have specifically in psychiatric mental health nursing?
right to treatment
right to refuse treatment (including meds)
right to least restrictive treatment alternative
What are the Nurse Practice Acts?
defines the legal parameters of professional and practical nursing
What are the types of laws that pertain to nurses?
statutory law: enacted by a legislative body; ex. nurse practice acts
common laws: derived from decisions from previous cases; ex. different states dealing with nurse’s refusal to provide care for a specific client
Define civil law and subcategories of civil law.
protects private and property rights of individuals and businesses; includes torts and contracts