Ethical Legal Issues Flashcards
Compassion; taking positive action to help others; desire to do good
EX: an elderly patient falls at home and has a fractured hip
–the nurse provides pain medication as soon as possible
Ethics Principle: Beneficence
Compassion
Do no hard
Making sure you are doing no harm in the beneficent act of using technology to extend life
EX: Narcotics may cause confusion.
–To consent to surgery the pt must be alert
–Must consider provision of medication may interfere with decision making capacity
Ethics Principle: Nonmaleficence
Requires loyalty, fairness, truthfulness, advocacy, and dedication to patients
EX: keep patient information confidential, keeping promises
Ethics Principle: Fidelity
Equal and fair distribution of resources, based on analysis of benefits and burdens
EX: A hospital organization wishes to donate low or no-cost pediatric dental services to the community
–There are openings for 45 children per month
–A fair method, that is free from bias determines who will receive services
Ethics Principle: Justice
Decisions are made for the patient about diagnosis, therapy and prognosis
EX: The primary care physician does not reveal a Dx after the patient says he would kill himself if he had lung cancer
Ethics Principle: Paternalism
What is morally right or wrong varies from person to person and from society to society
EX: female genital circumcision
Ethical Theory: Ethical Relativism
Requires examination of the situation to derive moral conclusion
EX: Donation of insulin pump
–Consider culture, lifestyle, motivation, and maturity level in decision-making
–Consider effects of disease on life-style
Ethical Theory: Feminist Theory
The morality of an action is based on the actions adherence to rules
EX: Use of restraints
–not considered universal law
Ethical Theory: Deontology ( Immanuel Kant)
Supports what is best for most people: emphasizes outcomes and consequences
EX: Disaster triage
–Resources allocated to the greatest number of people who are likely to survive
Ethical Theory: Utilitarianism
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIPAA
Right to privacy (Roe v. Wade)
Right to refuse medical treatment ( In Re Karen Quinlan)
Right to Confidentiality ( HIPAA)
Patients Rights
Anything related to the “past, present or future physical or mental health condition” of a person
Protected Health Information (PHI)
Developed as a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession
ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses
