Healthcare ethics has always been an area that intrigued me from the first time that I

learned about it. There are many aspects to understand from healthcare ethics as they are utilized
every day. Moreover, it is also important to have ethical awareness in any healthcare field and
that is why the many principles of ethics are essential to have and understand.
After looking through articles on this particular topic “Healthcare ethics: The experience
after the Haitian earthquake,” by Mill Etienne, Clydette Powell, and Dennis Amundson, caught
my interest. It explains how they were able to use healthcare ethics after a horrific earthquake
occurred in Haitian. How the U.S sent forces to help out with Haiti and its public health
infrastructure. They had also set up a Healthcare Ethics Committee to assist in delivering
efficient patient care for the victims. This is good to remember as ethics are used every day and it
is used for patient care and for taking action. Furthermore, the article also mentions that despite
the aid that was being given, physicians must not only practice healthcare ethical principles but
also practice respect (Etienne et al. 141). This is important to use as many physicians, nurses, and
other members of the Healthcare Ethics Committee were going to another country. They must
practice respect for their communities, cultures, and the traditions of the people in Haiti. These
practices play a vital role in any healthcare professional as it helps develop ethical sensitivity,
ethical focus, and it builds an ethical character. Additionally, the article also mentions that
“providers relied on healthcare ethics decision making” (Etienne et al. 142). Due to many
patients that kept overwhelming the facility’s capacity, healthcare providers relied on ethics to
not only provide patient care but also to make important decisions. For instance, with the help of
the Healthcare Ethics Committee and their principles of beneficence, justice, autonomy, and
nonmaleficence, healthcare practitioners were able to make use of this when discussing
controversial cases of the victims from the earthquake. With this in mind, this type of guidance
was able to aid other healthcare staff to focus on providing good quality patient care and comfort
them as well. I believe that the principles that are used in healthcare ethics are always important
to keep in mind because it will allow patients to acquire the care that they need and help
healthcare professionals to take action when needed. Also with the practice of ethical sensitivity
and focus you are showing respect for others and ethical competence. Reading this article has
made me realize the important role that ethics plays in our world. How we must be able to
understand these principles and use them in our healthcare field to provide the best patient care
that we can.

Etienne, M., Powell, C., & Amundson, D. (2010, June). Healthcare ethics: The experience after
the Haitian earthquake, ​5(​ 3), 141-147 Retrieved from
https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a529047.pdf