Ethics And Legal Issues In Nursing

Ethics and Legalities in NursingObjectivesDefinitions as applied to ethical decisions nurses make during care of clientsAdvance Directives Ethical dilemma stepsFoundationEthics -philosophical ideals of right and wrong behavior.Ethics is not religion or lawNurses have a duty to practice ethically and morallyTells us how human beings should behave, not necessarily what they do. Not a religion, not law, but both of these can be the basis of ethical decisions that you make. The word duty is a legal termEthical IssuesMoral uncertainty/conflict-When the nurse is unsure which moral principle to apply, or even what the problem is. Common with new nurses, theyre not sure what they are supposed to be doingMoral distress-When the individual knows the right thing to do but organizational constraints keep them from doing itMoral outrage-An individual witnesses an immoral act by another but feels powerless to stop itMoral/ethical dilemma-Occurs when two or more clear principles apply but they support inconsistent courses of actionSelf-awareness-Not an ethical issue, but is absolutely vital in ethical decision makingEthical FrameworksUtilitarian-most good, least harm-Most common approach, First do no harm is related to this. Attempts to produce the greatest good with the least harm. Rights based-best protects the rights and respects the moral rights of