Ethics & Values
NUR101 FALL 2008
LECTURE #21
K Burger
MSEd,MSN,RN,CNE
Ethics versus Laws



Nurse Practice Act governs legal practice
You govern ethical practice
It is the ETHICS of nursing practice that
elevate it as the #1 most trusted profession
Source: Gallup Poll, Honesty and Ethical
Standards of Professions Survey, 2004.
Nursing Code of Ethics

Written by professional organizations
American Nurses Association (ANA)
International Council of Nurses
Remember…one of the hallmark characteristics of
a “profession” is that it has a Code of Ethics.
Values versus Ethics
VALUES = personal belief about the worth of a
given idea, attitude, custom
ETHICS = good character and conduct
Values Clarification





Your first step in development of ethical behaviors
Recognize and understand your values
Critically examine your ethical thinking
Transformational learning
Critical reflection
Constructive discourse
Emotional intelligence
Democratic habits of heart
Aids in the development of ethical agency
( the ability to “do the right thing”)
Essential Values for Nursing
Altruism
 Autonomy
 Human dignity
 Integrity
 Social Justice
 Cultural competence
All of above correlate to universal principles
of biomedical ethics.

Universal Ethical Principles







Veracity
Autonomy
Beneficence
Nonmaleficence
Fidelity
Confidentiality
Justice
In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus
asks his friend Volumnious to assist
him in death, after he has suffered
defeat in battle…..
“Thou seest the world, Volumnious, how it
goes; Our enemies have beat us to the
pit;
It is more worthy to leap in ourselves,
Than tarry till they push us, Good
Volumnious.
Thou know’st that we two went to school
together;
Even for that our love of old, I prithee,
Hold thou my sword-hilts whilst I run on it.”
?????
Brutus wishes to
exercise his ethical
right of: __________
Volumnious, his friend,
is not able to comply
because of his ethical
belief in: __________
Ethical Behavior of the Professional
Nurse includes:
 Accountability
 Responsibility
 Advocacy
Ethical Stressors in Nursing





Quality of life
Futile care
Euthanasia
Abortion
Allocation of scarce resources
Processing Ethical Dilemmas



FIRST… ask yourself “is it really an ethical dilemma”
THEN if yes:
- gather all relevant data
- do a values clarification process
- state the problem
- consider all possible courses of action
- negotiate an outcome
- evaluate
Also consider use of institutional resources:
Ethics Committee
Critical Thinking
Collaborative Exercise
Discuss the ethical dilemmas posed on the
handout.
Come to a group consensus on answers to the
questions.