Ethical Issues in

Nursing

Presented by Caroline Dos Santos

and Isabel Neyra
What is Ethics?
The Oxford dictionary defines ethics as:

“Moral principles that govern a person's behavior or

the conducting of an activity.”

The Britannica dictionary defines ethics as “a moral

philosophy; the discipline concerned with what is
morally good and bad and morally right and wrong”.

Ethics are constantly touched upon in the nursing

profession.
 Personal ethics vs. Professional Ethics

Personal ethics: Professional Ethics:

● Differs from each individual ● Established expectations of all individuals
● Typically learned from a social group such as family, within the organization
● Hold high standards
friends, mentors etc. ● Written rules with repercussions
● Depends on several factors such as religion, familial ● Include reprimand and legal punishment
structure, personal history etc.
● An accepted form of being by the individual which
aligns with their beliefs and defines what is right and
wrong for them

Is there a difference between the two?

Compare and contrast various ethical theories

Virtue Ethics: A philosophy developed by Aristotle in 384-322 B.C. A virtue stems more from one's personal character
and morals rather than the act of doing in order to bring out a good consequence. Aristotle believed that when a person
was faced with an ethical dilemma they would make the right choice because they have developed a good sense of self
and character.

Natural Law Theory: Developed by Saint Thomas Aquinas. It states that all people have inherent rights granted not by law
but by “God, nature or reason”.

Deontology: An ethical theory based on whether an action itself is right or wrong under set rules rather than based on
the consequences of the action

Utilitarianism: An ethical theory that states that an action is right if it promotes happiness and that the greatest
happiness of the greatest number of people should be the guiding principle of conduct
Think of an ethical issue and apply the seven basic
ethical principles to it

7 basic ethical A woman comes in to the emergency room who is 3 months pregnant.
principles: She has sustained life-threatening injuries following a motor-vehicle
●
accident. The woman has a signed advanced directive stating that she
Autonomy
● Beneficence
does not wish to be on life support. The family of the patient does not
● Nonmaleficence agree and insists for the woman to be kept on life support until the
● Justice child can be delivered safely. The nurse has an ethical dilemma on
● Accountability hand and must use the following ethical principles to ensure that the
● Fidelity proper care is provided and with the best interest of the patient.
● Veracity
What is a code of ethics?

A code of ethics are the principles and expectations governing the behavior of individuals and
organizations within a group
Nursing has its own code of ethics which was developed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) in
1950. According to the ANA, the nursing code of ethics is “a guide for carrying out nursing responsibilities
in a manner consistent with quality in nursing care and the ethical obligations of the profession”.
The 4 main principles that are included are
1.Autonomy
2.Beneficence
3.Justice
4.Non-maleficence
In 2015 9 interpretative statements/provisions were added to the code of ethics to help guide the nursing
practice in a more definitive way
Nurses Code of Ethics
Nurses are expected to uphold the ethical standards outlined by the Nurses’
Code of Ethics

The code of ethics is divided into 9 provisions:

1. The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity,
worth, and unique attributes of every person
2. The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual,
family, group, community, or population.
3. The nurse promotes, advocates for, and protects the rights, health, and
safety of the patient.
4. The nurse has authority, accountability and responsibility for nursing
practice; makes decisions; and takes action consistent with the obligation to
provide optimal patient care.
5. The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility
to promote health and safety, preserve wholeness of character and integrity,
maintain competence, and continue personal and professional growth.
6. The nurse, through individual and collective effort, establishes, maintains, and
improves the ethical environment of the work setting and conditions of
employment that are conducive to safe, quality health care.
7. The nurse, in all roles and settings, advances the profession through research
and scholarly inquiry, professional standards development, and the generation of
both nursing and health policy.
8. The nurse collaborates with other health professionals and the public to protect
human rights, promote health diplomacy, and reduce health disparities.
9. The profession of nursing, collectively through its professional organizations,
must articulate nursing values, maintain the integrity of the profession, and
integrate principles of social justice into nursing and health policy.
 Current ethical issues noted in health care

If nurses do not adequately deal with ethical issues, the result could
be a decline in patient care, tense clinical relationships, and moral
distress. These are some current ethical issues in nursing:
1.Informed Consent
2.Protecting Patient Privacy and Confidentiality
3.Shared Patient Decision-Making
4.Addressing Advanced Care Planning
5.Inadequate resources and staffing
Ethical dilemma in nursing

An ethical dilemma is distinguished

from other problems when:

1. the problem cannot be

resolved in isolation by a
review of scientific data or
details of the situation
2. when there are two or more
ethical values in conflict.
● Ethical dilemmas arise regarding palliative care, organ procurement,
religious beliefs, cultural considerations, assisted suicide, informed consent,
and the disclosure of medical conditions.

These dilemmas may, at times, conflict with the Code of Ethics or with the
nurse's ethical values.

Nurses are advocates for patients and must find a balance while delivering
patient care.
Ethical dilemmas resolution

Always follow as a guide the 9 provisions of the Code of Ethics for

Nurses by The American Nurses Association (ANA)

Apparently, there is only one way to resolve them and it’s through
the discussion or effort to make wise and prudent decisions and
which has discretion on the particular ethical situations in light of
tolerance that is supported by consensus and the common
discussion of moral problems.
How could reflection start when there is an ethical dilemma?

● Making sure that you are actually facing an ethical dilemma.

● Gathering all the relevant information on the case.
● Reviewing and identifying the values themselves, in view of a
situation in conflict.
● Verbalizing the problem considering the principles of Ethics of
the Discussion.
● Taking into account the possible courses of action.
● Negotiating the result.
● Evaluating the decisions and actions accepted.
 References

StatPearls. (2021, January 9). Florida Nurse Practice act laws and rules.
StatPearls. Retrieved November 21, 2021, from
https://www.statpearls.com/ArticleLibrary/viewarticle/41861.

American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of ethics with

interpretative statements. Silver Spring, MD: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/
CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-ofEthics-For-Nurses
.
https://nurse.org/education/nursing-code-of-ethics/
Thanks
for your
time