UNIVERSITY OF LA SALETTE, INC.

Santiago City, Isabela, Philippines

NCM 108
HEALTH CARE ETHICS-BIOETHICS

BIOLOGY- Science of living things. It may refer to plants and animals.

- It includes man and woman
- The human person possesses a body made with flesh and bones,
and sustained by blood, water, food and shelter in order to survive.
The biological perspective on the essence of the human person takes him/her
as the “highest form of animal life”, whose being and activities are determined
by the same laws that govern all other matter.
He/she has the power to feel through or under the limbic brain, and to reason
through the thinking brain (neocortex). These special powers sets human
above other species of animals.

BIOEHTICS- derived from two words “bio” and “ethics”.

- Bio is a combining and short form for “biological or biotic which
means life or having to do with living things.
- Ethics is the science of human conduct or characteristics of
rational animal.
- Bioethics may be viewed as a living study of the conduct of
human life.
It focuses on the study of the ethical problems involved in biological research,
such as the ethics of organ transplantation, genetically modified organisms,
abortion, and euthanasia. z
Bioethical issues or cases have posed a challenge to health care stakeholders
to live up to their profession in preserving, protecting and upholding the value
of human life.
Bioethics, in this endeavor, will provide a framework, standards and guiding
principles to help solve worsening ethical problems.

HEALTH ETHICS- concerned with the type of conduct or character that is

approved or disapproved of in terms of right and wrong, good or bad relative
to health-care service. Specifically, it may refer to nursing ethics.

Nursing Ethics- concerned with moral principles that govern the conduct of a
nurse in his/her relationship with patients, physicians, colleagues, the nursing
profession, and the community or public.

Moral Principles guiding a nurse in the practice of his/her profession:

 True concern and devotion to his/her duties for the promotion of

public health and public welfare.
 In the exercise of his/her profession, a nurse must employ utmost
diligence, skill, and solicitude to conserve human lives.

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 UNIVERSITY OF LA SALETTE, INC.
Santiago City, Isabela, Philippines

 A nurse is morally bound to fulfill his/her civic obligations, to be a

law-abiding citizen, and to contribute his/her knowledge and skill
to promote health
 A nurse must protect and preserve the reputation and dignity of
the profession and that of his/her colleagues.

Professional Ethics- branch of moral science, which treats of obligations that a

member of a profession owes to the public, his/her profession, colleagues, and
clients.
- It enables the basic principles of right action, or norms of conduct,
which are exemplary and honorable in the practice of a
profession.
- Any profession needs ethical and morals in the quest for an orderly
progress in the course of practice and maintenance of high
professional standard.
- In nursing profession, ethics and/or moral values direct nurses
conduct, basing on established ethical, moral, and spiritual
principles, rules and practices that may make their profession
fruitful and beneficial to the public.

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