Ethical Issues in Nursing

Mr.SATHISH Rajamani M.Sc (N)

Lecturer
Annai Meenakshi College of Nursing
Coimbatore
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 Objectives

Terms: Ethics, Bioethics, Values, Morals

Ethical principles
Code of Ethics and primary values
Nursing Standards definition
6 standards of nursing practice
Framework for processing an ethical
dilemma
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 Values and ethics
Values and ethics are inherent in all
nursing acts.
A value is a strong personal belief;
an ideal that a person strives to
uphold.
Your values reflect cultural and social
influences, relationships and
personal needs. Vary among people
and develop and change over time.
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 What is Ethics?
Branch of philosophy concerned with
determining right and wrong in relation to
peoples decisions and actions.
Morals and ethics are often used
interchangeably but morals are often
stated as private, personal standards of
what is right and wrong, ethics reflect a
commitment to standards beyond personal
preferences.

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 Nursing Ethics
An expression of how nurses ought
to conduct themselves. Refers to
ethical standards that govern and
guide nurses in everyday practice
such as being truthful with clients
respecting client confidentiality and
advocating on behalf of the client.

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 Ethical Principles
Autonomy
Nonmaleficence
Beneficence
Justice

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 Ethical Principles
Autonomy- refers to a persons
independence, self-determination,
self-reliance. A patient has the right
to make decisions about her/her
care. Ex. Signing a consent form for
surgery

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 Ethical Principles
Nonmaleficience - refers to the
avoidance of causing any harm to clients.
Try to balance the risks and benefits of a
plan of care, while striving to do no harm.
Ex: bone marrow transplant promises to
bring a cure but there may be a long
period of pain and suffering.

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 Ethical Principles
Beneficence- means promoting good
or doing good for others. Take positive
steps to help others. It helps to guide
difficult decisions where the benefits of a
treatment maybe challenged by the risk to
the clients well-being or dignity. The best
interests of the client must be upheld. Ex:
immunization

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 Ethical Principles
Justice- refers to fairness or equity.
Clients need to be treated in a manner
that they deserve. Ex. Both clients receive
the same treatment when being admitted
for surgery, fair resources etc.

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 What does a code of ethics do?
Gives guidance for decision making
about ethical matters by providing a
set of values that are basic to
nursing practice.

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 The Code of Ethics
Provide rules of ethical or moral
behavior for every circumstance.
Offer guidance about which values
should take priority or how they can
be balanced in practice.

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 Values and The Code of Ethics
Primary values that are central to ethical
nursing practice.
The 7 values include:
1. Providing safe,

2. Compassionate competent and

3. Ethical care,

4. Promoting health and well-being,

5. Promoting and respecting informed

decision-making,
6. Maintaining privacy and confidentiality,

7. Promoting justice and being accountable

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 Providing Safe, Compassionate
Competent and Ethical Care
Nurses value the
ability to provide
safe, compassion,
competent and
ethical care that
allows them to fulfill
their ethical and
professional
obligations to the
people they serve.
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Promoting Health and Well
Being
Nurses value health
promotion and well being
and assist persons to
achieve their optimum
level of health in
situations of normal
health, illness, injury,
disability or at the end of
life.

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 Promoting and Respecting
Informed Decision-Making
Nurses provide
persons with
appropriate
information and
services so they can
make informed
decisions. Ensure
nursing care is given
with informed
consent
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 Preserving Dignity
Recognize and respect the inherent
worth of each person and advocate
for respectful treatment of all
persons.

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 Maintaining Privacy and
Confidentiality
Nurses safeguard the trust
of clients that information
learned in the context of a
professional relationship is
shared outside the health
care team only with the
clients permission or as
legally required or where
failure to disclose would
cause significant harm.

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 Promoting Justice
Nurses apply and promote principles
of equity and fairness to assist clients
in receiving unbiased treatment (social
justice) and a share of health services
and resources proportionate to their
needs. Safeguard human rights.

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 Being Accountable
Nurses act in a manner consistent
with their professional responsibilities
and standards of practice and are
answerable for their practice.

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Definition of Nursing Standards
Describes the desirable and achievable
level of performance expected of
registered nurses in their practice against
which performance can be measured
Benchmark for assessing the professional
conduct of all registered nurses.

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 Six Standards of Nursing Practice

Accountability
Continuing Competence
Application of Knowledge, Skills and
Judgment
Professional Relationships and Advocacy
Professional Leadership
Self-Regulation

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 Standard 1 and 11
Accountability Continuing Competence
Accountable to the The registered nurse
public to ensure that attains and maintains
clients receive competence relevant to
competent, safe, their own scope of
and ethical care. nursing practice

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 Standard III, IV
Application of Professional
Knowledge, Skills and Relationships and
Judgment Advocacy
The registered nurse Establishes a
demonstrates professional
competencies relevant therapeutic
to their own scope of relationship and is an
nursing practice. advocate for clients.

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 Standard V, VI
Professional Self-Regulation
Leadership Personally accountable to
practice nursing in a
Demonstrates competent and ethical
leadership when manner.
providing quality
nursing care and health
care services to clients.

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 Ethical Decision Making Process
Guide for ethical discussion There is often no clear
within the context of health answer/decision in resolving
care practice. It ethical dilemmas
incorporates theories,
principles and codes into the Often ethical dilemmas pose
decision making process. more questions than provide
An ethical dilemma often answers
forces a choice between one
or more ethical principles
Deciding in favor of one
principle can often violate
another principle

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 How to Process an Ethical
Dilemma
1) Is this an ethical 5) Consider
dilemma? possible courses of
2) Gather all the action
information relevant to 6) Negotiate the
the case outcome
3) Examine and 7) Evaluate the
determine your own action
values on the case
4) Verbalize the
problem
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 Summary
Terms: Ethics, Values, Morals
Ethical principles
Code of Ethics and primary values
Nursing Standards definition
6 standards of nursing practice
Framework for processing an ethical
dilemma

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