Moral Agency Flashcards
Meta Ethics
– focuses on an analysis of meaning, justification, and inferences of moral terms, concepts & statements
Normative Ethics
– focuses on the formulation & defense of basic principles, values, virtues and ideals governing oral behaviour
Applied Ethics
– focuses on factual descriptions of moral behaviour & belief systems or beliefs, this is the practical component of ethicis – or the ‘aim’ of ethics
Describe the Mcdonald framework
- Collect information & ID problem
- Specify reasonable alternatives
- ID ethical resources
- Propose & test possible resolutions
- Make your choice
What are the Moral dimensions of nursing practice?
Personal Beliefs
Professional Code of Ethics
Bioethical principles in Health care
What is moral agency?
“ The capacity or power of a nurse to direct his/her motives and actions to some ethical end; essentially, doing what is good and right” (CAN, 2008, p.26; text pg 65)
What is moral dimension?
- Nurse’s notion of what is good or right is not a matter of individual ethic, but is imbedded within the discipline of nursing, as well as within the norms for the particular area in which he or she practices
- It is the background to the nurse’s practice and sets up what the nurse notices and attends to in particular situation
Characteristics related to an absence moral deliberation
- Moral violation – an action that is viewed as ethically wrong e.g. physical abuse
- Moral distress – situation where you can see what is right and wrong and you don’t have control over the situation e.g. nursing shortage
- Moral residue – long term effect of distress. Leads to dissatisfaction with career e.g. thinking “if only I’d done this”
What is the definition for Moral violation?
Neglecting fundamental nursing obligation in a situation where the nurse knows (or should know) that the action or lack of action is not appropriate
What is the definition of Moral Distress?
- The guilt, concern, frustration and distress experienced when nurses cannot fulfill their ethical obligation or commitments, or they fail to pursue what they believe to be the right course of action or failure to live up to their expectation of ethical practice, for one of the following reasons
- Error in judgment
- Insufficient personal resolve
- Other circumstances beyond their control
What is the definition of Moral Residue?
- The unresolved distress that one carries as a result of situations in which one has compromised oneself, or has allowed compromise to occur.
- Unrelieved moral distress over a period of time can erode the nurses values & affect confidence and self-esteem.
- The sense of powerlessness that may prevail can result in the nurse’s loss of capacity to care
Moral Horizon: Features
- Relief of suffering
- Preservation of human dignity
- Fostering of choice e.g. look at the pt. & family
- Physical & psychological safety
- Prevention & minimization of harm
- Patient & family well-being
Moral Horizon: Reaching it
- Patient feeling that the nurse cares
- Family better able to cope
- Team coming together
- Nurse(s) feel(s) respected, can let go, sense of satisfaction & fulfillment
Moral Horizon: not reaching it
- Patient feels dehumanized, unnecessary suffering, ‘punished’ for being ill
- Family let down
- Nurse(s) feel(s) powerless or unsafe
Moral Horizon: where do we go from here?
- Enhance quality of relationships
- Use language of ethics
- Education in ethics & moral decision making
- Improve Moral
- Get involved in health policy development
- Application of theory to clinical practice
