Deontology: A Duty-Based Ethical Study

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Ethics is a “the study of ideal behavior and existence, focused on understanding on the concepts and distinguishing between right and wrong” (Butts, J, & Rich, K., 2005). Deontology and Teleology are a branch of philosophy that involves the question of the morality and the perception of good and evil, right and wrong. These are moral beliefs that are essential especially for the nurses. As a professional nurse, the patient’s safety is our priority. But in some cases, the nurses’ have to decide whether their actions are not conflicting with their profession, moral values, and religion. Some of us have a Golden Rule based on our culture and religion to treat others the way we wanted to be treated by them. The Ten Commandments are moral duties that were taught to us since we were small children, and our parents, grandparents …show more content…

Furthermore, deontology doesn’t deal solely with the purposes in a traditional sense but dealing with duties and obligations. Many of us have duties or obligations regarding our activities that centered on our beliefs and values. For example, a doctor just received a phone call that his family had an accident and killed by a drunk driver. That drunk driver ends up in the operating room, and the doctor, whose family just died needs to operate the drunk driver. Would the doctor perform the operation or not? The situation is conflicting on the part of the physician, but the doctor has the oath to treat anyone in danger regardless of the circumstance. The doctor has a professional duty to treat the drunk driver and set aside his personal life, thus showing a moral

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