Exam #2: Ethical Issues

Question 1

What’s morality?

Answer 1

a personal standard of what’s right and wrong, good and bad in a situation

Question 2

What’s ethics?

Answer 2

the reasoned analysis and disciplined inquiry of relationships underlying the moral code of a particular group

actual scientific process

Question 3

What’s ethics distress?

Answer 3

acting in a manner that is contrary to personal and professional values

Question 4

Name the 10 ethical principles

Answer 4

autonomy
justice
veracity
beneficence
nonmaleficence
privacy
confidentiality
fidelity
ideal observer
standard of best interest

Question 5

Autonomy

Answer 5

the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body without the coercion or interference from others

“self determination”

“advanced directives”

Question 6

Justice

Answer 6

the obligation to be fair to all people

treat everyone equally

Question 7

Veracity

Answer 7

truth-telling

patient must be fully informed and know all risks vs. benefits of all treatments

Question 8

Beneficence

Answer 8

doing good will towards another

harms and benefits are balanced, leading to a beneficial outcome

Question 9

Nonmaleficence

Answer 9

protection from harm

“do no harm”

ex: chemotherapy. May kill cancer cells yet still cause patient significant pain/stress b/c of intervention

Question 10

Privacy

Answer 10

right to be protected against intrusive contact from others

Question 11

confidentiality

Answer 11

maintaining secrecy of patient info

HIPPA regulations

“code of conduct”

Question 12

Fidelity

Answer 12

faithfulness or promise-keeping

Question 13

Ideal observer

Answer 13

requires a decision be made from a disinterested, dispassionate, consistent viewpoint, with full info available and consideration of future consequences

patient has their own set of values

Question 14

Standard of best interest

Answer 14

making decisions on patient’s behalf based on known values

Question 15

What are the 4 purposes of the code of ethics?

Answer 15

inspire members to be ethical
sensitize members to ethical issues
enforce rules on group members
protect society (from people who are unethical in the profession)

Question 16

Ethical Decision Making Process (6 steps)

Answer 16

1. clarify ethical dilemma
2. gather additional data
3. identify options
4. make a decision (patient should always be decision maker, unless unable to do so)
5. act
6. evaluate

Question 17

Patient Advocacy

Answer 17

nursing role or employment position
acting on the behalf of the patient
be prepared for personal consequences of patient advocacy

Question 18

Ethical issues in Nursing (8 things)

Answer 18

1. informed consent
2. allocation of resources
3. reproductive technology
4. provision of healthcare to children
5. end-of-life decisions
6. quality vs quantity
7. impaired colleagues
8. academic dishonesty

Question 19

Informed consent

Answer 19

patient has to be fully informed of all details, benefits, options, risks
patient must be legally competent to maintain consent

–expressed consent: patient gives consent

–complied consent: healthcare provider will provide complied consent on the belief that this is what the patient would want

Question 20

Allocation of resources

Answer 20

may be related to resources such as IV pumps, or organs needing to be transplanted
may not have sufficient resources to provide to everyone who needs them
sometimes allocation resources can be related to shortage of staff/nurses
can be related to access to healthcare

Question 21

Reproductive Technology

Answer 21

AI: do we allow multiple contributions to stay in a geographical area or allowed to be shipped across the US?

Selective Termination of Pregnancies after In vitro Fertilization: sometimes multiple fertilized eggs are implanted in the hope that one or two survive. But sometimes 6-8 fertilized embryos survive

Surrogate motherhood

Stem cell research

Question 22

Provision of Healthcare to Children

Answer 22

Do we allow parents to make certain decisions knowing that it could result in the death of their child? (ex: refusing chemo)

What about divorced parents w/ equal custody? What happens if they disagree on treatment? Whose wishes do you follow?

Should parents be informed of all treatments of their children?
–ex: 14 or 15 yr old comes into clinic w/ STI. Do you inform parents?

Question 23

End-of-life decisions

Answer 23

When is the appropriate time to stop providing care?

–ex: DNR is an example of this ethical issue

Question 24

Impaired colleagues

Answer 24

drinking, high…

You’re legally bound by a nurse practice act in your state to report an impaired colleague

Question 25

Academic dishonesty

Answer 25

If you cheat in college, does it mean you’re going to be a bad nurse?

Academic dishonesty in the clinical setting can include lying about patient care
–if you lie in clinical setting, you WILL be expelled from university and won’t be allowed to graduate w/ your degree