Lecture 14 Flashcards
principles Standards of ethics in healthcare includes (6)…
1) Autonomy
2) Beneficence
3) Nonmaleficence
4) Justice
5) Fidelity
6) Veracity
What is Autonomy?
The patients right to make their own (autonomous) healthcare decisions
e.g. respect a patient’s right to refuse a treatment
What is beneficence?
To promote good; taking positive actions to help others
e.g. taking a patient outside to get some fresh air
What is nonmaleficence?
To avoid causing harm
e.g. perform multiple checks to avoid medication error
What is Justice?
To treat fairly and equally
e.g. distribute care equitably among assigned patients
What is fidelity?
To be faithful/loyal
e.g. keep promises to patients
What is a code of nursing ethics?
a set of guiding principles that all members of a profession accept
what does a code of nursing ethics help professional groups settle?
questions about practice or behavior
what is The American Nurses Association?
establishes ethical standards for the nursing profession in the United States
What are the basic principles laid out by the ANA that remain constant(4)?
1) Responsibility
2) Accountability
3) Advocacy
4) Confidentiality
what is advocacy?
refers to thee support of a particular cause; nurses advocate for the health, safety, and rights of patients, including their right to privacy
what is responsibility?
the willingness to respect obligations and to follow through on promises
what is Accountability?
The ability to answer for your actions
what is confidentiality?
HIPPA mandates the protection of patients’ health information
what sort of ethical considerations should be made concerning nurses and social networks?
nurses should not post pictures of patients even if there are no identifiers
why should nurses not become friends with patients?
it may cloud a nurse’s ability to remain objective
Your patient is about to undergo a controversial orthopedic procedure. The procedure may cause periods of pain. Although nurses agree to do no harm, this procedure may be the patient’s only treatment choice. This example describes the ethical principle of:
A. autonomy.
B. fidelity.
C. justice.
D. nonmaleficence.
D
what is the ethical considerations for a nurses values and those of your patients?
nurses need to respect their own values as they try to respect those of others whose values differ from theirs
The values that an individual holds are reflect what?
- cultural and social influences
- values vary among people and develop over time
sometimes people have such strong values that they consider them to be (BLANK), not just (BLANK)
Facts; Opinions
what is a value?
a personal belief about the worth of a given idea, attitude, custom, or object that sets standards that influence behavior
What is an ethical dilemma?
When conflicting values cause distress and controversy
The daughter of an intubated patient with terminal cancer does not want her mother to have opioid pain medication due to religious reasons even though she is in severe pain.
This is an example of what?
An ethical dilemma
To resolve ethical dilemmas, one needs to…
distinguish among values, facts, and opinion
identifying values as something separate from facts can help you…
find tolerance for others even when there is a big difference between view points
what are the theories of ethics(5)?
1) Deontology
2) Utilitarianism
3) Feminist Ethics
4) Ethics of Care
5) Casuistry
What is Deontology?
Defines actions of right or wrong based on their “right-making” characteristics.
e.g. fidelity to promises, truthfulness, and justice
What is Utilitarianism?
- A system of ethics that proposes that the value of something is determined by its usefulness
- AKA consequentialism because main focus is on the outcome or consequence of an action
What is the guiding principle for determining the right action
in utilitarianism?
the greatest good for the greatest number of people is the guiding principle
what is Feminist ethics?
focuses on the inequality between people
what theories does feminist ethics critique?
conventional ethics such as deontology and utilitarianism
What is ethics of care?
- emphasizes the importance of understanding relationships, especially as they are revealed in personal narratives
- closely related to feminist ethics
what is Casuistry?
- case-based reasoning
- focuses on an intimate understanding of particular situations
- depends on finding consensus more than an appeal to philosophical principle
describe using casuistry for solving ethical dilemmas…
consensus building promotes respect and agreement rather than a particular philosophy or moral system
What are the steps to processing an ethical dilemma(7)?
1) Ask if this is an ethical dilemma
2) Gather information
3) Clarify values
4) Verbalize problem
5) Identify courses of action
6) Negotiate outcome
7) Evaluate action
describe the makeup of an ethics committee and its purposes(4)
- Usually multidisciplinary
- They serve several purposes including:
- Education
- Policy
- Recommendation
- Case consultation
Who can request access to an ethics committee?
Any person involved in an ethical dilemma including:
* Nurses
* Physicians
* Healthcare Providers
* Patients
* Family members
What are the common professional ethical/bioethical issues that will influence you and the care you give your patients(3)?
1) Quality of life
2) Genetic screening
3) Care at the end of life
the ethical issue of quality of life is central to discussions about…
end-of-life care, cancer therapy, physician-assisted suicide, and Do Not Resuscitate
How is quality of life measured?(4)
1) Age of patient
2) Patient’s ability to live independently
3) Patients ability to contribute to society in a gainful way
4) Other measures of quality
what is the definition of quality of life?
quality of life is deeply subjective and difficult to predict
describe the capabilities approach:
begins with a commitment to the equal dignity of all people regardless of their class, religion, caste, race, or gender, and is committed to the attainment , for all, of lives that are worthy of that equal dignity
what challenges result in moral distress that can characterize the management of care at the end of life?
difficult emotional and spiritual challenges
define futile:
- Regular definition: something that is hopeless or serves no purpose
- When used in healthcare discussions: Interventions that are unlikely to produce benefit for a patient
if a patient is dying of a condition with little or no hope of recovery, which interventions are futile?
almost any intervention beyond symptom management and comfort measures
why would an agreement to label an intervention as futile be benefitial?
an agreement to label an intervention as futile can help providers, families, and patients turn to palliative care measures as a more constructive approach to the situation
describe the benefit of HealthCare Reform
Facilitated access to care for millions of uninsured Americans
If a nurse decides to withhold a medication because it might further lower the patient’s blood pressure, the nurse will be practicing the principle of:
A. responsibility.
B. accountability.
C. competency.
D. moral behavior.
B
Describe the Nurse Practice Act:
what type of law?
what do they define?
(Statutory Law)
NPA of each state defines:
* The scope of nursing practice and expanding nursing roles
* Sets education requirements for nurses
* distinguishes between nursing and medical practice
what is a felony?
a serious offense that results in significant harm to another person of society in general
e.g. misuse of a controlled substance or practicing without a license
what are the penalties for felonies?
imprisonment for greater than one year or death; includes monetary penalties
what are misdemeanors?
a crime that does not inflict serious harm
e.g. parking in a no-parking zone is a misdemeanor traffic violation (its not really but that’s the definition she gives; more like shoplifting an item valued at $50 bucks is a misdemeanor)
what are the penalties for misdemeanor crimes?
usually has a penalty of monetary fine, forfeiture, or brief imprisonment
what are civil laws?
protects the rights of individuals and provides fair and equitable treatment when civil wrongs or violations occur
e.g. nursing negligence or malpractice