Ethical and Bioethical Issues in Nursing Flashcards
What is nursing ethics?
A system of principles that govern the actions of the nurse in relation to patients, families, other health care providers, policymakers, and society
Nursing ethics guides nurses in their professional conduct and decision-making processes.
What does the Code of Ethics refer to?
Implicit standards and values for the profession, including the ANA code of ethics and the International Council of Nurses Code for Nurses
The Code of Ethics serves as a framework for ethical practice in nursing.
Define bioethics.
An interdisciplinary field within healthcare that has evolved with modern medicine to address questions that arise as science and technology produce new ways of knowing
Bioethics examines the ethical implications of biological and medical procedures.
What are some dilemmas faced by healthcare professionals?
- Life and death
- Quality of life
- Right to decide
- Informed consent
- Alternative treatment issues
- Stem cell research
- Therapeutic and reproductive cloning
- In vitro fertilization/donor insemination
- Surrogate motherhood
- Organ transplantation
These dilemmas often require careful ethical consideration and decision-making.
What are the ethical principles in nursing?
Autonomy
Beneficence
Veracity
Nonmaleficence
Justice
Ethical principles facilitate communication and understanding among healthcare professionals and patients.
What is utilitarianism?
An ethical theory that asserts an action is right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or the fewest possible bad consequences
Utilitarianism emphasizes the overall outcome of actions rather than intentions.
What is an example of utilitarianism?
Herd immunity vaccination laws:
Laws requiring healthcare workers and children to receive certain vaccines to protect public health
These laws aim to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
What is deontology?
The assumption that humans are rational and act out of principles that are consistent and objective, compel them to do what is right
What is an example of deontology?
Saving the life of a 22 week old preterm baby
Fertility treatment for a pt with heroine addiction
Lung transplant for a pt with tobacco addiction
List values essential for the professional nurse.
Altruism
Autonomy
Human Dignity
Social Justice
These values guide nurses in their ethical practice and interactions with patients.
True or False: Bioethics only addresses issues related to medical procedures.
False
Bioethics encompasses a wide range of ethical questions in healthcare, including policy and societal implications.
