Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Chapter 17 Ethical Issues
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues ETHICS AND HISTORY ETHICAL DILEMMAS Moral Distress Ethics and the Law Ethics and Religion See: Tables 17-1, 17-2 and Displays 17-1, 17-2
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Ethical Issues NURSING ETHICS Nursing ethics is a system of principles concerning the actions of the nurse in his or her relationships with: –Patients –Family members –Other health care providers –Policy makers –Society as a whole See: Figure 17-1 and Display 17-3
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Ethical Issues Question Is the following statement True or False? Ethics are concerned with making decisions about what’s right and what’s wrong using what is known to be true about the situation.
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues Question True Ethics are concerned with determining a right act from a wrong act. Often when making an ethical decision one must determine the lesser of two evils. Ethical decisions are not based on emotion; instead, they are based on knowledge rather than opinion.
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues ETHICAL THEORIES Teleology Deontology The Feminist Perspective
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DECISION MAKING – Legislative and Judicial Factors –Science and Technological Advances –Societal Influences –Health Care Reform –Professional Values and Client Values See: Display 17-4
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Ethical Issues FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE DECISION MAKING –Professional Values and Client Values Beneficence Nonmaleficence Autonomy Justice Fidelity Veracity
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues ETHICAL DECISION MAKING ASSESSMENT DIAGNOSIS PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION EVALUATION See: Display 17-5
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Ethical Issues Question This is a multiple choice question Which ethical decision making model allows for emotions and empathetic caring as factors in decision making? A.Teleology B.Deontology C.Feminism D.Utilitarianism
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues Question A Feminism Feminists believe that virtues such as emotions, compassion, comfort, nurturing, intuition, and empathetic caring have a place in making ethical decisions. “Feminists argue that it is impossible to avoid being influenced by one’s relationship. They see that influence as positive and believe that it should not be muted by an attempt to be objective.”
Copyright © 2013 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ethical Issues Summary: Nurses have ethical responsibilities that have a direct impact on the work they do. The decisions are not easy and promise to get more difficult as science and technology continue to advance. Having knowledge of an ethical framework for decision making assists the nurse in making decisions and carrying out actions that are personally and professionally acceptable.