Ethics Nursing Exam 1
What is ethics? - Correct Answers-the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and
wrong in human affairs
"A discipline in which we attempt to identify, organize, analyze, and justify human acts by
applying certain principles to determine the right thing to do in a given situation"
Nursing Ethics - Correct Answers-a subset of bioethics; formal study of ethical issues that arise
in the practice of nursing and of the analysis used by nurses to make ethical judgments
ethical norms of the profession, values, principles that govern nursing practice.
Scope of Ethics - Correct Answers-Societal Ethics
Organizational Ethics
Bioethics/Clinical Ethics
Professional Ethics
Personal Ethics
Dramatic Ethics - Correct Answers-Dealing with dramatic situations with "tragic choices" This is
often the kind of situation we see presented in the media.
-Ppl requesting maid and its all over media
,Persisting Ethics - Correct Answers-These are continuing issues that underlie the issues at the tip
of the iceberg
Questions like: "What does it mean to be a person? What degree of control ought a woman to
have over her own body?"
Ex. Is birth control a form of abortion?
Ethics in the general sense - Correct Answers-How best to conduct one's life
Most everything we do involves choices
Each alternative may have different consequences
Why Study Ethics? - Correct Answers-Increase our sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of our
practice
Enable us to discuss values and principles at issue in our practice
Enable us to identify ethical issues/concerns when we face them
Enable us to analyze ethical issues/concerns and respond effectively
Define 'Your right' - Correct Answers-Right - justified claim
"A claim or privilege to which one is justly entitled or may do, either legally or morally"
(Keatings & Smith, 2010, p. 431)
,Duty - obligation - arising from law or ethical principles, and often associated with our
relationship to others (e.g., parental duties, duties of a registered nurse, etc.)
Ethical Situations: Violations - Correct Answers-Ethical Violations - "Involve actions or failures to
act that breach fundamental duties to the persons receiving care or to colleagues and other
health-care providers" (CNA, 2017, p. 7)
For example: breach of confidentiality; being less than truthful when providing information to
patient; proceeding with a treatment without a patient's consent
Ethical Situations: Dilemma - Correct Answers-"Arise when there are equally compelling reasons
for and against two or more possible courses of action, and where choosing one course of
action means that something else is relinquished or let go"
For example: an adolescent refusing treatment
Ethical Situations: Problems - Correct Answers-"A situation where there are conflicts between
one or more values and uncertainty about the correct course of action. Ethical problems involve
questions about what is right or good to do at individual, interpersonal, organizational and
societal levels"
Ethical Distress - Correct Answers-feelings that arise in situations where nurses "feel they know
the right thing to do, but system structures or personal limitations make it nearly impossible to
pursue the right course of action"
Moral Deliberation - Correct Answers-Decisions regarding which course of action would be
morally right (i.e., morally justified) require the use of some deliberative process
What are moral judgements based on? - Correct Answers-Rules
Rights
, Principles
Professional obligations
Theories
Some process of "specification", "weighing", and "balancing"
What are Rules? - Correct Answers-generalizations asserting that actions of a certain kind ought
(or ought not) to be performed
More Ethical Situations - Correct Answers-Ethical problems-conflicting values, what is
right/good course of action?
Ethical uncertainty-lack of clarity, indecision
Ethical dilemma-equally compelling courses of action.
Ethical/moral distress-know the right thing to do but not have authority to take the action.
Ethical/moral residue-experience of being seriously compromised.
What is the law? - Correct Answers-the system of rules that a particular country or community
recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of
penalties.
The study of the relations between people. This relationship is determined in terms of the rights
and duties between those people as recognized by the courts
Canadas Legal System - Correct Answers-Two distinct systems of law in Canada (statutes)
English Common Law - statute law, precedents (case law), doctrine, and custom
French Civil Law (Quebec) - legal rules and principles recorded in Civil Code
What is ethics? - Correct Answers-the branch of philosophy that deals with issues of right and
wrong in human affairs
"A discipline in which we attempt to identify, organize, analyze, and justify human acts by
applying certain principles to determine the right thing to do in a given situation"
Nursing Ethics - Correct Answers-a subset of bioethics; formal study of ethical issues that arise
in the practice of nursing and of the analysis used by nurses to make ethical judgments
ethical norms of the profession, values, principles that govern nursing practice.
Scope of Ethics - Correct Answers-Societal Ethics
Organizational Ethics
Bioethics/Clinical Ethics
Professional Ethics
Personal Ethics
Dramatic Ethics - Correct Answers-Dealing with dramatic situations with "tragic choices" This is
often the kind of situation we see presented in the media.
-Ppl requesting maid and its all over media
,Persisting Ethics - Correct Answers-These are continuing issues that underlie the issues at the tip
of the iceberg
Questions like: "What does it mean to be a person? What degree of control ought a woman to
have over her own body?"
Ex. Is birth control a form of abortion?
Ethics in the general sense - Correct Answers-How best to conduct one's life
Most everything we do involves choices
Each alternative may have different consequences
Why Study Ethics? - Correct Answers-Increase our sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of our
practice
Enable us to discuss values and principles at issue in our practice
Enable us to identify ethical issues/concerns when we face them
Enable us to analyze ethical issues/concerns and respond effectively
Define 'Your right' - Correct Answers-Right - justified claim
"A claim or privilege to which one is justly entitled or may do, either legally or morally"
(Keatings & Smith, 2010, p. 431)
,Duty - obligation - arising from law or ethical principles, and often associated with our
relationship to others (e.g., parental duties, duties of a registered nurse, etc.)
Ethical Situations: Violations - Correct Answers-Ethical Violations - "Involve actions or failures to
act that breach fundamental duties to the persons receiving care or to colleagues and other
health-care providers" (CNA, 2017, p. 7)
For example: breach of confidentiality; being less than truthful when providing information to
patient; proceeding with a treatment without a patient's consent
Ethical Situations: Dilemma - Correct Answers-"Arise when there are equally compelling reasons
for and against two or more possible courses of action, and where choosing one course of
action means that something else is relinquished or let go"
For example: an adolescent refusing treatment
Ethical Situations: Problems - Correct Answers-"A situation where there are conflicts between
one or more values and uncertainty about the correct course of action. Ethical problems involve
questions about what is right or good to do at individual, interpersonal, organizational and
societal levels"
Ethical Distress - Correct Answers-feelings that arise in situations where nurses "feel they know
the right thing to do, but system structures or personal limitations make it nearly impossible to
pursue the right course of action"
Moral Deliberation - Correct Answers-Decisions regarding which course of action would be
morally right (i.e., morally justified) require the use of some deliberative process
What are moral judgements based on? - Correct Answers-Rules
Rights
, Principles
Professional obligations
Theories
Some process of "specification", "weighing", and "balancing"
What are Rules? - Correct Answers-generalizations asserting that actions of a certain kind ought
(or ought not) to be performed
More Ethical Situations - Correct Answers-Ethical problems-conflicting values, what is
right/good course of action?
Ethical uncertainty-lack of clarity, indecision
Ethical dilemma-equally compelling courses of action.
Ethical/moral distress-know the right thing to do but not have authority to take the action.
Ethical/moral residue-experience of being seriously compromised.
What is the law? - Correct Answers-the system of rules that a particular country or community
recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of
penalties.
The study of the relations between people. This relationship is determined in terms of the rights
and duties between those people as recognized by the courts
Canadas Legal System - Correct Answers-Two distinct systems of law in Canada (statutes)
English Common Law - statute law, precedents (case law), doctrine, and custom
French Civil Law (Quebec) - legal rules and principles recorded in Civil Code
