Ethics

OBJECTIVE
• To increase awareness among nurses on code of ethics, values and
ethical behaviour
What is meant by ethics?

• A set of principles of right conduct.

• Ethics are the rules or principles that govern the right conduct and are

designed to protect the rights of human beings.

Code of ethics

• Is a set of ethical principles that are accepted/followed by all

members of the profession.

• It serves as a guideline for performance, standards and personal

responsibility.
Need
• To protect the rights and dignity of human beings
• Help the RN to practice ethically
• Helps the nurse to identify the ethical issues in her workplace
• Provides care with minimum risk to the nurses health
• Helps to differentiate right and wrong
• Guides professional behaviour
• Prevents below standard practice
• Protect a nurse if falsely accused for legal action.
• To remind nurses of their special responsibility they assume when caring for the
sick.
Ethical principles
Principle of respect and autonomy
• Patient has the right to accept or reject suggested treatments,
interventions, or care.
• Autonomy in decision making necessitates giving appropriate and
adequate information to the clients.
• nurses should provide the patients with information, explain
suggested interventions, and let them free to either accept or reject
oncoming procedures so that they and their families can make a
decision about their condition.
Principle of beneficence
• Beneficence is action that is done for the benefit of others.
• Beneficent actions can be taken to help prevent or remove harms or
to simply improve the situation of others.
• It means to promote the good and well being of the client.
• This involves taking actions to help benefit others and prevent both
physical and mental harm
Eg.
• When a nurse chooses to perform a pain assessment and request and
order for medication from a Doctor as one of the first interventions, it
is an act of beneficence.
• When a nurse practices therapeutic communication to help the
patient work through their concerns, it is an act of beneficence.
• Giving proper discharge instructions without making them feel
helpless.
• Mandatory reporting and isolating certain diseases.
• Reporting abuses – incident report
Principle of justice
• all citizens have an equal right to the health care services.
• Determining the order in which client should be treated when
allocated resources are limited.
Principle of veracity
• Means telling the truth.
• For instance, a patient must be given the truth by being informed of
the risks involved in a treatment.
Principle of fidelity
• This principle requires loyalty, fairness, truthfulness, advocacy, and
dedication to our patients.
• The nurse practices fidelity by remaining committed and keeping
promises.
• The nurse tells the patient that she will come back to check on her.
Even though she gets slammed by a heavy workload, she manages to
squeeze in a few moments to visit the patient.
Principle of Nonmaleficence
• Nonmaleficence means to “do no harm.”
• It’s applied practically to nursing by not causing injury, weather it be
physical, psychological, emotional, or financial injury to patients.
• Hot water bag
• Bed rails
• Unwanted effects of drugs
• Hand hygiene
• Privacy and Confidentiality
• Informed Consent
• Informed consent involves the patient’s right to autonomy and self-
determination. Accurate information must be provided to enable
patients to make an informed decision about their treatment.
The Three Elements of Informed Consent
• Informed
• Competent
• Voluntary
THE ICN CODE OF ETHICS FOR
NURSES
• The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses has four principal elements that
outline the standards of ethical conduct.
• The fundamental responsibility of the nurses is four fold, to promote
health, prevent the illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering.
• The need for nursing is universal; inherent in nursing is respect for life,
dignity.
• Nurses render health service to the individual, family and community
and coordinate their services with those of related group.
1. NURSES AND PEOPLE
• The nurse’s primary professional responsibility is to people requiring
nursing care
• In providing care, the nurse promotes an environment in which the
human rights, values, customs and spiritual beliefs of the individual,
family and community are respected.
• The nurse ensures that the individual receives sufficient information on
which to base consent for care and related treatment.
• The nurse holds in confidence personal information and uses
judgement in sharing this information.
• Develop and monitor environmental safety in the workplace.
2. NURSES AND PRACTICE
• The nurse carries personal responsibility and accountability for nursing
practice, and for maintaining competence by continual learning.
• The nurse maintains a standard of personal health such that the ability to
provide care is not compromised.
• The nurse uses judgement regarding individual competence when
accepting and delegating responsibility.
• The nurse at all times maintains standards of personal conduct which
reflect well on the profession and enhance public confidence.
• The nurse, in providing care, ensures that use of technology and scientific
advances are compatible with the safety, dignity and rights of people.
3. NURSES AND THE PROFESSION
• The nurse assumes the major role in determining and implementing
acceptable standards of clinical nursing practice, management,
research and education.
• The nurse is active in developing a core of research-based
professional knowledge.
• The nurse, acting through the professional organisation, participates
in creating and maintaining safe, equitable social and economic
working conditions in nursing.
4. NURSES AND CO-WORKERS
• The nurse sustains a co-operative relationship with co-workers in
nursing and other fields.
• The nurse takes appropriate action to safeguard individuals, families
and communities when their health is endangered by a co-worker or
any other person.
5. NURSES AND SOCIETY
• The nurses with other citizens the responsibility for initiating and
supporting action to meet the health and social needs of the public
How to practice professional ethics
• Greeting
• Pleasant
• Polite
• Uniform and grooming
• Communication
• facilitates conducive work cultures in order to achieve objectives
• Valuing human being
• Respect different cultures
• Participates in supervision n education
• Follows the policies of institution
• Maintains standards of professional conduct
• Take responsibility for updating ones own knowledge
Values
• Human dignity • Equality
• Privacy/ Confidentiality • Prevention of suffering
• Justice • Health promotion
• Autonomy in decision making • Altruism
• Commitment • Individual n professional
• Sympathy competence
• Honesty • Personal values – honesty,
responsibility, intelligence,
ambition
• Competent
• Emotionally intelligent
• Loyal
• Responsible /common sense
• Self motivating and self governing
• Puts patients first
• Willingness to help others/ positive attitude
• Caring, kind and compassionate
Unethical behaviour from nurses
• Not thoughtful • See patients as problems
• Just doing a job • Depersonalize patients
• Rough • Neglect patients
• Not responding • Non communicative
• Not paying attention • Negative communication
• Treat patients as objects • Fail to meet care responsibilities
• Ethical Reflection: “Requires Practitioners to think critically about

their values and to ensure that these values are integral to the care

that they provide”… for every interaction!