Code - “A code may be defined as conventionalized set of rules or expectations devised for a specific purpose.”

Ethics-Word ethics is derived from the word “Ethos”.

It is a Greek word and means as customs, character or conduct.

Ethics is the branch of philosophy that examines the difference between right and wrong.

*“A specific set of professional behaviors and values the professional interpreter must know and must abide by, including confidentiality, accuracy, privacy, integrity.”

*Acknowledges the rightful place of Individuals in health care delivery system.

*Contributes towards empowerment of individuals to become responsible for their health and well-being.

*Contributes to quality care.

*Identifies obligations in practice, research and relationships.

*Informs the individuals, families, community and other professionals about expectations of a nurse.

*To inform both the nurse and the society of the minimum standard for professional conduct.

*It provides regulatory bodies a basis for decisions regarding standards of professional conduct.

*Protect the rights of individuals, families and community and also the rights of the Nurse.

*autonomy

*beneficence

*non-maleficence

*justice

*Respect a person’s right to make their own decisions

*Teach people to be able to make their own choices

*Support people in their individual choices

*Do not force or coerce people to do things

*‘Informed Consent’ is an important outcome of this principle

Our actions must aim to ‘benefit’ people – health, welfare, comfort, well-being, improve a person’s potential, improve quality of life

‘Benefit’ should be defined by the person themselves. It’s not what we think that is important.

Act on behalf of ‘vulnerable’ people to protect their rights

Prevent harm

Create a safe and supportive environment

Help people in crises

*do not to inflict harm on people

*do not cause pain or suffering

*do not incapacitate

*do not cause offence

*do not deprive people

*do not kill

*Both Beneficence and Non-maleficence underpin EBP

*Treating people fairly

*Not favouring some individuals/groups over others

*Acting in a non–discriminatory / non-prejudicial way

*Respect for peoples rights

*Respect for the law

Distributive Justice – sharing the scarce resources in society in a fair and just manner (e.g. health services, professional time)

How should we share out healthcare resources?

How do we share out our time with patients?

Deciding how to do this raises some difficult questions

Patients should get…..

an equal share ? just enough to meet their needs ?what they deserve ?what they can pay for ?

*Veracity – truth telling, informed consent, respect for autonomy

*Privacy – a persons right to remain private, to not disclose information

*Confidentiality – only sharing private information on a ‘need to know basis’

*Fidelity – loyalty, maintaining the duty to care for all no matter who they are or what they may have done

*1) consequentialism – taking the consequences of our actions into consideration

*2) deontology – basing our actions on a set of principles or duties

*Actions are right or wrong according to the balance of their good and bad consequences

*the right act is the one that produces the best overall result

*Utilitarianism (what action has the greatest utility - use/benefit/positive outcome) is a type of consequentialism

*most prominent consequence-based theory

*based on the principle of utility

*actions ought to produce the maximal balance of positive value (e.g. happiness) over disvalue (e.g. harm)

Duty or principle based theoryAn act is right if it conforms to an overriding moral dutyFor example – do not tell lies, do not kill.

A moral duty or principle is one that is:laid down by god / supremely rational being

or is in accordance with reason / rationality

or would be agreed by all rational beings

1) The nurse, in all professional relationships, practice with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth, and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by considerations of social or economic status, personal attributes, or the nature of health problems

2) The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community.

3) The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient.

4) The nurse is responsible and accountable for individual nursing practice and determines the appropriate delegation of tasks consistent with the nurse’s obligation to provide optimum patient care.

5) The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.

6) The nurse participates in establishing, maintaining, and improving health care environments and conditions of employment conducive to the provision of quality health care and consistent with the values of the profession through individual and collective action.

7) The nurse participates in the advancement of the profession through contributions to practice, education, administration, and knowledge development.

8) The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public in promoting community, national, and international efforts to meet health needs.

9) The profession of nursing, as represented by associations and their members, is responsible for articulating nursing values, for maintaining the integrity of the profession and its practice, and for shaping social policy.

a nurse working in a psychiatric care unit in treating teenage patients with anorexia nervosa. She is particularly concerned about the treatment program for a 16-year-old female with a long history of emotional problems, beginning at age 6.

*The unit’s treatment plan centers on a reward and punishment system for eating behaviors that result in weight gain.

*Patient is closely watched at all times (even when in the bathrooms), and their eating and physical activities are closely monitored.

*Privileges, such as watching TV, wearing favorite clothes are withdrawn from patient if the patient does not gain weight.

*This case is ethically interesting because the nurse recognizes and supports the patient’s right to determine his or her own weight. The nurse is to respect these rights.

* Ethical standards for the nursing profession indicate that patients have moral rights

*“to determine what will be done with their own person; to accept, refuse,

*or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress, coercion, or penalty.”

*The overriding moral principle is the principle of beneficence, a commitment to do what is in the patient’s interest.

*Nurse of an 80-bed nursing home facility in an urban setting, has just learned that a bill has been introduced in the state legislature to allow medications to be given by unlicensed personnel in nursing homes throughout the state.

*Medication administration provides the best opportunity for the qualified nurse to assess the overall health status of the elderly person. concern is that the nursing profession should have the authority to set the norms for nursing practice, in this case giving the health and safety of patients priority over the cost saving that seems to get priority in the legislature’s plan.

*code shows that to identify the most important ethical principle: protecting the health, well-being, and safety of patients