1. Ethics
Unit 5:2

2. Objective
List at least six basic rules of ethics for health care personnel

3. Code of Ethics How do ethics differ from legal responsibilities?
How are they the same?

4. Ethics Set of principles dealing with is morally right or wrong
Provide standard of conduct or code of behavior
Allow health care provider to analyze information and make decisions based on what people believe is right and good conduct

5. Modern health care advances have created many ethical dilemmas
Is assisted death justified in certain patients?
Should a patient be told that the health care provider has AIDs?
Should aborted fetuses be used for research?
When should life support be D/C?
Do parents have a religious right to refuse a life saving blood transfusion for their child?
Can a health care facility refuse expensive treatment, such as bone marrow transplant if the patient cannot pay for the treatment?

6. Ethical Dilemmas Continued
Who decides if a 75 y/o patient or a 56 y/o patient gets a single kidney available for transplant?
Should people be allowed to sell organs for transplants?
If a person can benefit from marijuana should a physician be allowed to prescribe it as a treatment?
Should animals be used in medical research even if it results in the death of an animal?
Should human beings be cloned?

7. There are guidelines on how to deal with dilemmas provided by an ethical code
National organizations in most of the different health care occupations have established an ethical code
Differ slightly
Most contain same basic principles

8. Basic Rules for Ethics
Put saving life and promotion of health above all else (Safety and Wellness FIRST)
Make every effort to keep patient as comfortable as possible and to preserve life when possible
Respect the patient’s choice to die peacefully and with dignity when all options have been discussed with the patient and family and/or predetermined by advance directives
Provide care for all individuals to the best of your abililty

9. Basic Rules for Ethics Continued
Treat all patients equally
Regardless of race, religion, social or economic status, sex, and nationality
Avoid bias, prejudice and discrimination
Maintain competent level of skill consistent with occupation
Stay informed and up to date
Pursue continuing education as necessary

10. Basic Rules for Ethics Continued
Maintain Confidentiality
Information about the patient must remain private and can be shared only with other members of patient’s health care team
Information obtained from patients should NOT be repeated or used for personal gain
Gossiping about patients is ethically wrong

11. Basic Rules for Ethics
Refrain from immoral, unethical, and illegal practices
Report illegal actions of others to proper authority
Avoid actions that are immoral or illegal
Show loyalty to patients, co-workers, and employer
Avoid negative or derogatory statements
ALWAYS express positive attitude
Be sincere, honest and caring
Treat others as you want to be treated (Golden Rule)
Show respect and concern for the feelings, dignity, and rights of others

12. Review Study the code of ethics for occupation you enter
Abide by the code
Become a competent and ethical health care worker
Abiding by ethics earns you the respect and confidence of patients, co workers, and employers

13. Relation/Application to Real World
How are the rules of ethics similar to a school situation?
How can you apply basic rules of ethics in your daily lives?

14. Check For Understanding
Why do health occupations have an ethical code?
Does a drug-addict deserve the same care as the president?
What should you do if you see a co-worker stealing drugs?

15. Case Study (Guided Practice) Assignment
For the following case studies you are required to:
Write at least one paragraph
State/support your rationales to the situation
DO NOT PROVIDE “JO BLOW ANSWER”: Think about it and write a genuine response
Check Spelling and Grammar
THIS IS AN INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

16. Case Study (Guided Practice)
A patient who is dying of cancer tells you he is saving sleeping pills to commit suicide. What should you do? Why?
“I hate this job” is a comment you hear in the staff conference room. What is wrong with this statement?

17. Prove Your Knowledge…
You are going to create a code of ethics for a profession (career) in which you are interested
“You have just been hired on to work, but your boss tells you immediately that you are to create a “Coe of Ethics” for the position in which you are working
Consider what you know and have learned about ethics, personalities, and characteristics of professionals, as well as professionalism.

18. Prove Your Knowledge . . .
MUST be creative, but not incorrect information
MUST include objective for this chapter
MUST be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Make It Look Like Something You Would Present for Publishing