Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing (Exam 2) Flashcards
system of principles that govern the actions of the nurse in relation to pts, families, other HCP, policymakers, and society.
nursing ethics
implicit standards and values for the profession. American nurses association code of ethics. International council of nurses code for nurses.
code of ethics
Dilemmas that pose a choice between perplexing alternatives in the delivery of HC bc of the lack of a clear sense of right or wrong. Interdisciplinary field within HC that has evolved with modern meds to address questions that arise as science and technology produce new ways of knowing. HCP, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, clergy, philosophers, and theologians are joining to address ethical questions in HC.
bioethics
what are dilemmas for HC professionals?
Life and death
Right to decide
Informed consent
Alternative treatment issues
Stem cell research
Sexual reassignment
Therapeutic and reproductive cloning
In vitro fertilization; donor insemination
Surrogate motherhood
Organ transplant
what are dilemmas created by technology?
Illnesses that once led to mortality are now manageable and are classified as chronic illness. Cost is a consequence of prolonging life with technology. Manipulation of DNA.
what are bioethical dilemmas related to death?
quality of life and definition of death issues; with advances in HC, what is usual and what is heroic care has become unclear. Euthanasia and assisted suicide presents new ethical questions. Nurses in every setting must be prepared to considered end of life ?’s.
what are bioethical dilemmas related to right to HC?
HC system more selective in the amount and type of treatment offered bc of managed care. Is each person entitled to the same HC packages? Does ability to pay affect specific level of entitlement? How ethical is gatekeeping in the new managed care system? Access of HC and respect for human dignity are at the core of nursing practice.
what are bioethical dilemmas related to allocation of scarce resources?
should the recipient of scarce resources be selected based on quality of life? Ability to pay? Best prognosis? 1st come 1st served? Nurses should be prepared to consider ?’s regarding allocation of scarce resources.
a system of principles by which a person can determine what ought and ought not to be done.
ethical theory
rooted in the assumption that an action or practice is right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences, or to the fewest possible bad consequences. Strongest approach for bioethical decision making — which action will lead to the greatest ratio of benefit to harm for all people involved?
utilitarianism
rooted in the assumption that humans are rational and act out the principles that are consistent and objective, and compel them to do what is right. A decision is right only if it conforms to an overriding moral duty and wrong only if it violates that moral duty. All decisions are made in such a way that the decision could become universal law.
deontology
what are the ethical principles?
autonomy
beneficence
nonmaleficence
veracity
principle of respect for the person: primary moral principle. Unconditional intrinsic value for all ppl. Ppl are free to form their own judgements and actions as long as they do not infringe on the autonomous actions of others. Concepts of freedom and informed consent are grounded in this principle.
autonomy
to promote goodness, kindness, and charity. To abstain from injuring others and to help others further their own well-being by removing harm; risks of harm must be weighed against possible benefits. Common bioethical conflict results from an imbalance between the demands of beneficence and those of the HC system.
beneficence
implies a duty not to inflict harm. To abstain from injuring others. To help others further their own well-being by removing harm.
nonmaleficence
principle of truth telling. Belief that truth could at times be harmful held for many years. Consumers expect accurate and precise info revealed in an honest and respected manner. To develop trust between HCP and pts, truthful interaction and meaningful communication must occur. Challenge is to mesh need for truthful communication with the need to protect.
veracity
