ETHICAL

PRINCIPLE
S
JOY LYZETTE REGUYAL CARREON, RN, MAN
 Ethical principles are part of a normative theory
that justifies or defends moral rules and/or
moral judgments; they are not dependent on one's
subjective viewpoints
I. AUTONOMY

 Greek word AUTOS (self) NOMOS (governance)

 Autonomy means that the patients are able to make
independent decisions.
 This means that nurses should be sure patients have all of
the needed information that is required to make a decision
about their medical care and are educated.
 The nurses do not influence the patient's choice
PATIENT’S RIGHT

1. 1. Right to Appropriate Medical Care and Humane

Treatment. 
2. 2. Right to Informed Consent.
3. 3. Right to Privacy and Confidentiality
4. 4. Right to  Information.
5. 5. The Right to Choose  Health  Care Provider  and
Facility.
6. Right to Self-Determination. 
7. Right to Religious  Belief.
8. Right to Medical Records
9. Right to Leave
10. Right to Refuse Participation In Medical Research
11. Right to Correspondence and to Receive Visitors12.
Right  to  Express Grievances
13. RIght to be Informed of His Rights and Obligations
as a Patient.
GROUP ACTIVITY #2

Look for an article, movie clip, documentary

that involves medical ethical issues and
discuss, present the patient’s right violated or
observed.
Present it next Saturday 15-20minutes only
per group.
INFORMED CONSENT

 Informed consent is a principle in medical ethics

and medical law that a patient should have
sufficient information before making their own free
decisions about their medical care
INFORMED CONSENT
 The patient has a right to a clear, truthful and  substantial 
explanation,  in  a  manner  and  language  understandable  to  the
patient, of all proposed procedures, whether  diagnostic, preventive,
curative, rehabilitative or therapeutic, wherein the person who will
perform the said procedure shall provide  his  name  and credentials 
to  the  patient,  possibilities  of  any  risk  of mortality or serious
side effects, problems related to recuperation, and probability of
success  and  reasonable  risks  involved:  
PROXY CONSENT

 Proxy consent is the process by which people with the

legal right to consent to medical treatment for
themselves or for a minor or a ward delegate that right to
another person.
 The person must be legally and medically competent to
delegate the right to consent
II. CONFIDENTIALITY

 Confidentiality is one of the core duties of medical

practice.
 It requires health care providers to keep a patient's
personal health information private unless consent to
release the information is provided by the patient.
 Confidentialityis central to the development of
trust between doctors and patients. 
 Patients must be able to expect that information
about their health is kept confidential unless
there is a compelling reason that it should not
be.
CONFIDENTIALITY AS EXPRESSED
IN THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH
 “What I may see or hear in the course of the
treatment or even outside the treatment in regard to
the life of men, which on no account must spread
abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things
shameful to be spoken about”.
Privacy Act of 1974

 The Privacy Act of 1974, as amended to present (5

U.S.C. 552a), Protects records about individuals
retrieved by personal identifiers such as a name,
social security number, or other identifying
number or symbol.
 190 (Ga. 1905). In Philippine law, the concept of privacy
is enshrined in the Constitution and is regarded as the
right to be free from unwarranted exploitation of one's
person or from intrusion into one's private activities
in such a way as to cause humiliation to a person's
ordinary sensibilities.
THE HEALTH INSURANCE
PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
ACT (HIPAA)
Signed into law 1996 William Jefferson Clinton
 Gives the patient more control over personal
medical information and how it is used or released
2 AIMS OF HIPAA


1. Improve conditions when individuals change
health insurance programs including
PORTABILITY – means that no lapse of
healthcare coverage occurs when a person changes
from one job to another..
 2. As long as there is no lapse in coverage, pre
existing conditions are covered.
 PREEXISTING CONDITIONS – are ailments or
diseases that the patient has before health insurance
coverage begins.
III. VERACITY

 The principle of veracity, or truth telling, requires that

healthcare providers be honest in their interactions
with patients.
 “Traditional ethics holds that it is sim- ply wrong morally
to lie to people, even if it is expedient to do so, even if a
better outcome will come from the lie.
IV. FIDELITY

 Fidelity is keeping one's promises.

 The nurse must be faithful and true to their professional
promises and responsibilities by providing high quality,
safe care in a competent manner.
 Clients must be able to trust the counselor and have faith
in the therapeutic relationship if growth is to occur.
V. JUSTICE

  refers to a fair and equitable distribution of health resources.

 The FIVE principles that our justice system seeks to reflect are: 
access to resources, equity, participation, diversity, and human
rights.
 It is the moderation or mean between selfishness and
selflessness – between having more and having less than one's fair
share.
VI. BENEFICENCE

 The principle of beneficence is the obligation to act for the benefit

of the patient and supports a number of moral rules to protect
and defend the right of others, prevent harm, remove conditions
that will cause harm, help persons with disabilities, and rescue
persons in danger.
 The term beneficence connotes acts or personal qualities of mercy,
kindness, generosity, and charity. It is suggestive of altruism, love,
humanity, and promoting the good of others
EXAMPLE

 An eight-year-old child has been admitted to hospital with

a significant open fracture to their left leg. The limb is
deformed with significant bleeding and the patient is
extremely distressed. The parents are demanding
immediate action be taken.
VII. NON-MALEFICENCE

 This means that nurses must do no harm intentionally.

 Nurses must provide a standard of care which avoiding
risk or minimizing it, as it relates to medical competence.
 An example of nurses demonstrating this principle
includes avoiding negligent care of a patient.
 The principle of “Non-Maleficence” requires an intention
to avoid needless harm or injury that can arise
through acts of commission or omission.
BENEFICENCE AND NON-
MALEFICENCE
 Beneficence means performing a deed that benefits someone, while
nonmaleficence means refraining from doing something that harms
or injures someone
EXAMPLE:
 Feeding people at a soup kitchen is an example of beneficence.
Preventing a patient from taking a harmful medication is an example
of nonmaleficence.