Chapter 43 -Ethics and Values
ETHICS AND MORALS
What is the difference between morals and ethics?
Morals is a private, personal or group standards and beliefs of what is right and
what is wrong.
Ex: In general, it is wrong to steal
Ethics answers the question, "What should I do in a given situation?"
Ex: Is it wrong to steal food to feed your children?
Ethic is the study of a system of moral principles and standards, or the process of using them to
decide your conduct and actions. Ethics helps us to decide what is right or wrong and what
actions should be taken in certain circumstances.
How are morals learned?
Morals are learned through external influences and communicated through
various systems
Ex: religious, political, educational, societal
What are Moral behaviors?
Moral behaviors are behaviors that are expected based on external influence
such as religious belief.
Actions that are opposite to this are set to be immoral
Ex: Stealing from an old person
We are taught to treat the elderly well
How can ethics help us make decisions?
Helps us to decide what is right and what is wrong, and what actions we should thus take.
Ex: you are angry at a drunk driver that killed innocent people, but as a
nurse you must ethically treat him as a patient and take care of him.
1
,Nursing ethics
What is bioethics?
It is the application of ethical principles to every aspect of healthcare.
What is nursing ethics?
Subset of bioethics.
Refers to ethical questions that arise out of nursing practice.
nursing ethics: questions that have to do with the nurse’s actions, not the actions of
others. The nurse did not need a medical prescription or permission from hospital
administration to act ethically.
Why should nurses study ethics?
You will frequently encounter ethical problems in your work
ethic is central to nursing
multidisciplinary input is important: committee to address complex ethical issues.
ethical knowledge is necessary for professional competence
Ethical reasoning is necessary for nursing credibility among other disciplines
Ethical proficiency is essential for providing holistic care
nurses have the responsibility to advocate for patients
Studying ethics will help you make better decisions.
Advocacy: is there communication and the fence of the rights and interest of another.
What is (moral) ethical agency?
Is the ability to base their practice unprofessional standards of ethical conduct and to
participate in decision making.
What is moral distress?
Inability to carry out a moral decision.
Response to the inability to carry out one’s chosen ethical/moral decision/action
situational constraints prevent nurses from acing on their moral decisions.
can occur when nurses are unable to act as moral agents.
2
, What is moral outrage?
Belief that others are acing immorally.
How does moral outrage differ from moral distress?
In moral outrage, the nurse is not participating in the act. Therefore, they do not believe that
they are responsible for doing wrong, but that they are powerless to prevent others from doing
so.
Moral distress (ND): response to the inability to carry out one’s choses ethical/moral
decision/action
How can a nurse respond to moral outrage?
Whistleblowing (a person who reveals information about practices of others that are perceived
as wrong, fraudulent, corrupt, illegal or detriment to the health, safety and welfare of the client
they serve)
ANA code of ethics protect patient health and safety by acting on questionable practices.
3
ETHICS AND MORALS
What is the difference between morals and ethics?
Morals is a private, personal or group standards and beliefs of what is right and
what is wrong.
Ex: In general, it is wrong to steal
Ethics answers the question, "What should I do in a given situation?"
Ex: Is it wrong to steal food to feed your children?
Ethic is the study of a system of moral principles and standards, or the process of using them to
decide your conduct and actions. Ethics helps us to decide what is right or wrong and what
actions should be taken in certain circumstances.
How are morals learned?
Morals are learned through external influences and communicated through
various systems
Ex: religious, political, educational, societal
What are Moral behaviors?
Moral behaviors are behaviors that are expected based on external influence
such as religious belief.
Actions that are opposite to this are set to be immoral
Ex: Stealing from an old person
We are taught to treat the elderly well
How can ethics help us make decisions?
Helps us to decide what is right and what is wrong, and what actions we should thus take.
Ex: you are angry at a drunk driver that killed innocent people, but as a
nurse you must ethically treat him as a patient and take care of him.
1
,Nursing ethics
What is bioethics?
It is the application of ethical principles to every aspect of healthcare.
What is nursing ethics?
Subset of bioethics.
Refers to ethical questions that arise out of nursing practice.
nursing ethics: questions that have to do with the nurse’s actions, not the actions of
others. The nurse did not need a medical prescription or permission from hospital
administration to act ethically.
Why should nurses study ethics?
You will frequently encounter ethical problems in your work
ethic is central to nursing
multidisciplinary input is important: committee to address complex ethical issues.
ethical knowledge is necessary for professional competence
Ethical reasoning is necessary for nursing credibility among other disciplines
Ethical proficiency is essential for providing holistic care
nurses have the responsibility to advocate for patients
Studying ethics will help you make better decisions.
Advocacy: is there communication and the fence of the rights and interest of another.
What is (moral) ethical agency?
Is the ability to base their practice unprofessional standards of ethical conduct and to
participate in decision making.
What is moral distress?
Inability to carry out a moral decision.
Response to the inability to carry out one’s chosen ethical/moral decision/action
situational constraints prevent nurses from acing on their moral decisions.
can occur when nurses are unable to act as moral agents.
2
, What is moral outrage?
Belief that others are acing immorally.
How does moral outrage differ from moral distress?
In moral outrage, the nurse is not participating in the act. Therefore, they do not believe that
they are responsible for doing wrong, but that they are powerless to prevent others from doing
so.
Moral distress (ND): response to the inability to carry out one’s choses ethical/moral
decision/action
How can a nurse respond to moral outrage?
Whistleblowing (a person who reveals information about practices of others that are perceived
as wrong, fraudulent, corrupt, illegal or detriment to the health, safety and welfare of the client
they serve)
ANA code of ethics protect patient health and safety by acting on questionable practices.
3
