Chapter 4 Flashcards
The study of ideal human behavior and ideal ways of being.
Ethics
Specific beliefs, behaviors and ways of being based on personal judgements derived from one’s ethics.
Morals
What is used with healthcare ethics?
Bioethics
A specific domino of ethics that is focused on moral issues in the field of heath care.
Bioethics
Is a branch of applied ethics that concerns itself with activities in the field of nursing. It shares many principles with medical ethics, such as beneficence, non-maleficence and respect for autonomy.
Nursing ethics
Pertains to making decisions about how humans ought to be and act.
Moral reasoning
Pertains to knowing the values of the nursing profession and one’s own authentic moral values, integrating these two belief systems, and expressing them appropriately.
Wholeness of character
Involves acting consistently with personal values and the values of the profession. The quality of being honest.
Integrity
Who am I? what is the purpose of life? what is the meaning of my life? How are you using virtue ethics to work in the environment. What kind of person can I be to achieve my life’s purpose.
Virtue ethics
Rightness of actions is self evident from laws of nature. Examples: Man is suppose to be with women. Women should be at home with the children and men should be the one out working
Natural law
Actions that are duty based, not based on rewards, happiness, or consequences. Individuals are required to act from duty regardless if they wish to do so. Example: abortions
Deontology
Promote the greatest good that is possible in a situation. experiences different qualities and are not equal amongst individuals. When you have hospital policies that is for the greater good. What is best for the group not the individual.
Utilitarianism
History in feminist ethics where personal relationships and relationship responsibilities are emphasized. Where can we equalize patient care when it comes to men and women in the work field. You are going to have to educate people not tell them what to do. You have to help them understand how to do something. Critical thinking
Ethics of care
Involves one’s ability to self-rule and to generate persona decisions independently.
Autonomy
Consists of deeds of mercy, kindness, and charity. Implies that nurses take actions to benefit patients and to facilitate their well-being. EX: lifting side rails, and taking time to make phone calls for a frail older patient.
Beneficence
Nurses might decide to act in ways that the believe are for a patient’s own good rather than allowing patients to exercise their autonomy. EX: A nurse decides that a patient must try to ambulate in the hall, even though the patient moans and complains of being too tired from his morning whirlpool treatment.
Paternalism
The injunction to do no harm. Involves refraining from action that might harm others. EX: withholding or withdrawing treatments.
Non-maleficence
Nursing ethical principle that individual people and groups with similar circumstances and conditions should be treated alike
Justice
A situation in which an individual is compelled to make a choice between two action that will affect the well-being of a sentient being and both actions can be reasonably justify as being good, neither action is readily justifiable as good, or the goodness of the actions is uncertain.
Ethical dilemma
Can be experienced when nurses attempt to sort out their emotions when they find themselves in situations that are morally unsatisfactory or when forces beyond their control prevent them from influencing or changing these perceived unsatisfactory moral situations. EX: if nurses don’t agree with doctors orders.
Moral suffering
“What type of person must I be to achieve my life’s purpose?”
When individuals are confronted with complex moral dilemmas or situations, they will choose a certain course of action because of their basic character.
Examples: Benevolence, compassion, courage, justice, generosity, truthfulness
Virtue ethics
Natural law
Aquinian theory
Rightness of actions is self-evident from laws of nature
Morality is determined by law of reason
Behavior contrary to views of nature is immoral
Actions that are duty based, not based on rewards, happiness, or consequences
Kantian theory where individuals follow a universal framework of moral rules to guide the right actions.
Individuals are required to act from duty regardless if they wish to do so
Deontology
Utilitarianism
Promote the greatest good that is possible in a situation
John Stuart Mill stated that experiences have different qualities and are not equal amongst individuals
What is best for the group not the individual. Commonsense ethical directives agreed upon by groups of people are usually applied.