The following ethical theories are the ones that resonate with me the most: consequentialism, normative ethics, and ethical relativism. Consequentialism, by definition, states that the value of morality is dependent upon the effects that our actions generate (Sinnott-Armstrong, 2015). This theory strikes out to me as being very important because I strongly believe that in some cases, the overall result holds a greater dominance than the action itself. If a certain action brings about more positive outcomes than negative outcomes, then that action would be the right action to carry out, even if that action may be labeled as unethical or goes against a certain established rule. Therefore, I firmly believe that there should be exceptions around …show more content…
Compassion is important to me in the sense that it reassures a person going through an unfortunate situation (e.g. a patient) that there is someone who genuinely feels sorry for him/her, that the pain or suffering the particular person is experiencing is actually recognized and not disregarded in an apathetic way. Fidelity is crucial, especially in the healthcare field, because healthcare providers are committed to helping patients and making sure that they receive the best possible treatment. Fidelity helps guarantee that the patient can fully trust in the physician, nurse, or other health professional that he/she will abide by his/her duties to meet the patient’s needs, that the patient’s needs are being taken care of. Lastly, I firmly believe that honesty is imperative for being an ethical leader. In the healthcare field particularly, health professionals should not stray from the truth when delivering information to patients, even if that information is not in the patient’s favor. It may be difficult to give a patient bad news, but if a health professional chooses to deceive that patient, and that patient somehow finds out about the facts later on, then that would most likely destroy the sense of trust of the patient towards his/her caregiver, and trust is an essential component of the healthcare field. Therefore, I believe that honesty contributes greatly for a person to be principled, as well as for myself in pursuit of being a moral
“Public health is controversial because, depending upon how it is defined, it may challenge people’s values and demand sacrifices” (Schnieder 2017: 23). Although the overall goal is to create a policy that is inclusive of every group, this is almost impossible. It is impossible because there are too many conflicting views between each group. Public policy may also have a positive or a negative impact on the economy. One of the major conflict with public health policy is that it may be guided by religious beliefs. For example, issues such as AIDS, other sexual transmitted disease, teenage pregnancy, and low birth rates (20) are some of the major issues that end up being controversial when it comes to religion.
A person 's ethical beliefs are shaped by their religion, culture, family values, and life experiences. It is imperative for nurse leaders to go beyond examining their own ethical and moral beliefs. They must educate themselves on concepts, theories, and frameworks to effectively deal with ethical dilemmas, questions of morality, and legal issues. This is important not only for their own well-being but also because they are role models for all staff within their organization.
The four major ethical principles in health care are: Autonomy – to honor the patient’s right to make their own decision (the opposite is paternalism - the health care provider knows best for the patient), Beneficence – to help the patient advance his/her own good, Nonmaleficence – to do no harm (many bioethical controversies involves this principle), and Justice – to be fair and treat like cases alike. All 4 principles are considered to be in effect at all times. In theory, each is of equal weight or importance. Ethical responsibilities in a given situation depend in part on the nature of the decision and in part on the roles everyone involved play.
There are questions about transplant allocation in regards to the four major ethical principles in medical ethics: beneficence, autonomy, nonmaleficence and justice. Beneficence is the “obligation of healthcare providers to help people” that are in need, autonomy is the “right of patients to make choices” in regards to their healthcare, nonmaleficence, is the “duty of the healthcare providers to do no harm”, and justice is the “concept of treating everyone in a fair manner” ("Medical Ethics & the Rationing of Health Care: Introduction", n.d., p. 1).
.... In addition, this company has already made adjustments in the way they are making their product by using organic cotton to improve the quality of their product. Furthermore, while Patagonia is making definite changes towards their social responsibility considering the needs of their customers while still increasing the amount of product they are producing.
Ethical principals are extremely important to understand in the healthcare field. Ethical responsibilities in any situation depend on the role of the healthcare worker and the nature of the decision being made. Healthcare administrators and professionals must make ethical decisions that can be an everyday or controversial situation. When making such decisions, it is imperative to consider the four major principles of ethics: autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and distributive. By using these four principles, ethical decisions can effectively be made. For the purpose of this paper, examined will be the example of the treatment of an uninsured homeless patient. Poor health care be a cause and a result of homelessness.
Review of “Situationism and Virtue Ethics on the Content of Our Character” by Rachana Kamtekatar
The word ethics is derived from the Greek word ‘ethos’ meaning character or conduct. It is typically used interchangeably with word moral which is derived from the Latin word ‘moves’ which means customs or habits. Ethics refers to conduct, character and motivations involved in moral acts. Ethics are not imposed by a profession, by law but by moral obligation. It is unwritten code of conduct that encompasses both professional conduct and judgement. Ethics helps support autonomy and self-determination, protect the vulnerable and promotes the welfare and equality of human beings. An ethical dentist- patient relationship is based on trust, honesty, confidentiality, privacy and the quality of care.1
...assion. Integrity is a moral standard you set for yourself, respect is essential to developing a healthy workplace environment, and compassion encompasses the core of nursing. Without these traits you are doing a disservice to patients, colleagues, and yourself.
Ethical principles in healthcare are significant to the building blocks of mortality. The principles are beneficence, autonomy, justice, and nonmaleficence. Although these principles can be certainly followed they can also be disregarded. Beneficence is a theory that assures each procedure given is entirely beneficial to that patient to help them advance within their own good. For example, There was a young girl, the age of 17. She had been being treated at a small private practice since she was born. She was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and was only given a few more years to live. Her doctors at the private practice who had been seeing her for years were very attached to her and wanted to grant this dying girl her every wish. They promised
Truth-telling in nursing and the medical profession in general is an extensive area encompassing many ethical issues, not limited to and including the rights of patients or their families to receive information about their diagnosis and illness. The practitioner, on the other hand, must balance their obligation to tell the truth against the importance of Non-maleficence ,“do no harm”.
Fidelity is following through with one’s commitments and keeping promises previously made (Yoder-Wise, 2015). These two go hand-in-hand and can significantly influence patient care. Ethical integrity is often the first sacrifice made when faced with an opportunity to rise to top. These ethical principles must not be sacrificed in my line of practice, as trust has to be established among the people I serve. An ethical leader exhibiting veracity stands firm and upholds their ethical integrity in all circumstances and situations. They are committed to telling the truth in all situations and doing the right thing. The ultimate demonstration of leadership is when a nurse’s ethical integrity stands out through demonstration of fidelity. These are the leaders who not only know the right thing to do, but who also put this into action (Holt & Convey,
Healthcare professions have codes of conduct and ethics that address the issue of honesty and trust in relation to patient encounters yet truth-telling (or being honest) versus deception (or being dishonest) has been identified as an ethical issue in hospitals, particularly about diagnosis and prognosis disclosures. Dossa (2010) defines being honest or telling the truth as relating the facts as one knows them. Furthermore, Dossa (2010) states that deception can be an act of dishonesty but also can be without lies. In other words, forms of deception include not giving any information, not giving information of the truth, withholding information, selecting what information to give and not give, and giving vague information.
Mental health in the United States has long been underestimated. Nearly 50% of adults experience a mental illness at some point in their lives. More than half of these people experience moderate to severe symptoms. Despite this high prevalence of mental illness, only about 20% of people who have a mental illness receive professional help (Mental Illness in Society). The rising realization of how much mental health is just as important as physical health has created an awareness for health care professionals everywhere.
Ethical theories are a way of finding solutions to ethical dilemmas using moral reasoning or moral character. The overall classification of ethical theories involves finding a resolution to ethical problems that are not necessarily answered by laws or principles already in place but that achieve justice and allow for individual rights. There are many different ethical theories and each takes a different approach as to the process in which they find a resolution. Ethical actions are those that increase prosperity, but ethics in business is not only focused on actions, it can also involve consequences of actions and a person’s own moral character.