ANDAYA KIMBERLY SD. REFLECTION NO.

BSN 2C

Human acts and natural acts are key notions in nursing and bioethics for understanding the moral
consequences of healthcare interventions. When applied to nursing, human and natural actions provide a
framework for studying the ethical components of care, decision-making, and the moral obligations of
healthcare providers.

Human acts are defined as actions that are purposeful, intentional, and under the control of a human. In
nursing, these include conscious decisions made by healthcare practitioners such as dispensing
medication, providing therapy, providing counseling, or advocating for patients' rights. Because nursing
involves purposeful connection with patients and the application of healthcare procedures, ethical
questions surrounding human acts are critical. Human acts in nursing are ethically based on values such
as beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and fairness. Nurses must strike a balance between the
obligation to enhance their patients' well-being (beneficence) and the duty to prevent damage
(maleficence). Respecting patients' autonomy is critical, allowing individuals to make educated healthcare
decisions. Access to healthcare resources and services must be fair and equal for all. Natural acts, on the
other hand, are actions that occur involuntarily or without conscious aim. Bodily functions, reflexes, and
natural processes are examples of these. While nurses have no control over patients' natural behaviors,
ethical problems arise in how they respond to and care for patients in these situations.

For example, when a patient is unable to communicate due to a medical condition, nurses must make
ethical decisions about appropriate care and treatment while preserving the patient's dignity and rights
despite the patient's inability to actively participate in decision-making. The distinction between human
and natural acts in nursing is critical in guiding ethical decision-making in the setting of bioethics. It
encourages contemplation on healthcare practitioners' ethical responsibilities and the moral obligations
that accompany deliberate interventions, as well as the ethical issues involved in caring for patients who
may lack control over their own actions or decision-making. Furthermore, the confluence of human and
natural acts in nursing presents serious ethical quandaries, particularly when patients' autonomy is
weakened due to their physical state. In such instances, nurses must balance the principles of beneficence
and nonmaleficence while maintaining the patient's dignity and rights, even when the patient is unable to
actively engage in decision-making.

In summary, the contrast between human and natural acts promotes ethical thinking in nursing and
bioethics, highlighting the deliberate nature of nursing interventions and the ethical duties inherent in-
patient care. Nurses negotiate the ethical terrain of healthcare by appreciating the moral intricacies of
deliberate activities and the ethical issues in caring for patients in states when they lack control or
knowledge. This ensures that patient welfare, autonomy, and dignity are respected.