Introduction to Ethics
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Dec 6, 2023
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Introduction to Ethics
Dennise Sutton
West Coast University
HA 500: Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care Management
Susan Vellek
09/10/2023
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Introduction to Ethics
Ethics are the boundaries that we as individuals choose to live within as well as the rules we
choose to follow. These boundaries usually stem from our environment and/or customs that are set in
place whether that may be religion, race, nationality, etc; This usually is connected to our values and
virtues. Our values refer to the practices we apply to our lives, our virtues are characteristics which is
how people are categorized as good or bad. Ethics, where the healthcare industry is concerned ensures
that healthcare professionals make good decisions and have sound judgment at any given time. This is
imperative
in the healthcare industry to ensure that every patient/customer is being treated similarly
and to provide the best quality of care possible to everyone regardless of cultural differences.
Morality alludes to the set of bylaws society upholds in pursuance of governing the conduct and
behavior of its members. Morals are deeply ingrained in culture and religion and are often part of its
identity. Morals should not be confused with religious or cultural habits or customs, such as wearing a
religious garment (e.g., veil, turban). That which is considered morally right can vary from nation to
nation, culture to culture, and religion to religion. In other words, there is no universal morality that is
always recognized by all people in all cultures. (Pozgar, 2020, 3)
Morals are all about what is deemed
right and/or wrong. For example: stealing from a convenience store would be wrong whereas, helping an
elderly person cross the street is right.
Legality and ethics both consist of the practice of setting a form of standards/rules that we are
required to abide by in society. It is common in the healthcare industry that the two may conflict with
one another; Meaning, the legal duties of a healthcare professional may become incongruous with their
ethical values at some point in time. There is often considerable overlap in the conduct governed by
morality and that governed by law. Laws are created to set boundaries for societal behavior. They are
enforced to ensure that the expected behavior happens. (Pozgar, 2020, 4). It's the right and duty of every
individual to follow his/her own set of ethics and morals. Healthcare ethics are vital because workers
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must identify healthcare dilemmas, and make good judgments and decisions while remaining compliant
with applicable laws. It’s crucial for these professionals to feel regulated and guided in their practices to
ensure competence and integrity.
Regulations regarding medical ethics guide physicians in their work and protect them from legal
action. In some cases, it may be necessary to violate these ethical principles to protect the public or as
directed by a court of law. Furthermore, these principles help them resolve ethical dilemmas and
conflicts. The difficulty arises when it comes to ethical decision-making in the medical world due to there
being a “
fine line dividing the good from the bad or the evil and in situations when there is a difference
of opinion on what is morally permissible and what is not. Undoubtedly, in our society, the good and the
evil exist side by side.” (Juneja, n.d.).
There are four ethical principles they are Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-Maleficence, and Justice.
These principles are considered universal rules of conduct and assist healthcare professionals in making
sound decisions. For example, A nurse may be doing a routine checkup on her patient and notice them
squirming in pain. Then the nurse decides to assess them to get down to the patient’s problem. The
nurse was operating under the ethical of principle autonomy by deciding to further help the patient once
she saw they were in pain. While waiting for test results the patient asks for assistance with getting to
the bathroom to relieve herself and the nurse decides to help the patient. This is the operation of the
ethical principle of beneficence based on the nurse deciding to help the patient to the bathroom. The
nurse gets the results back and nothing has been flagged in the patient’s results but, the patient still
seems to be in pain. The nurse makes the decision not to perform any more assessments to prevent
hurting the patient any further. Non-maleficence is an ethical principle that requires caregivers to avoid
causing patient harm. The nurses finally choose to bring this information to the physician in hopes of
finding a solution to aid the patient. This is the operation of the ethical principle of justice, which is the
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obligation to be fair in the distribution of benefits and risks. Justice demands that persons in similar
circumstances be treated similarly. (Pozgar, 17)
Ethics is crucial in the healthcare industry and benefits the professionals who work in this
industry to be able to effectively communicate with patients and their family members. Having a code of
ethics set in place can generate an atmosphere of compassionate care that works for the patients, their
loved ones, and the providers.
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References
Juneja, P. (n.d.).
Difficulties in Ethical Decision Making
. MSG Management Study Guide.
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/difficulties-in-ethical-decision-making.htm
Pozgar, G. D. (2020)
. Legal and ethical issues for health professionals
(5th ed.). Burlington, MA:
Jones & Bartlett Learning.