Healthcare Ethics Week 1: Theories and Principles Quiz

Ethics in Healthcare

• RESPECT in healthcare ethics stands for Responsibility, Empathy, Service, Partnership, Engagement, Competence, and Trust.
• The concept of ethics is derived from moral philosophy, a framework that examines individual values and principles.
• The main focus of healthcare ethics is to ensure that care is provided with respect for patient autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence.

Key Ethical Concepts

• 'Intrinsic good' refers to something that is valuable in and of itself, rather than its utility or benefit.
• The purpose of moral philosophy is to explore moral values, principles, and the reasoning that guides ethical behavior.
• The 4 Rs in philosophy stand for Respect, Relevance, Responsibility, and Reciprocity.

Utilitarianism

• The central thesis of Utilitarianism is that the best action is the one that maximizes utility, usually defined as promoting the greatest happiness for the greatest number.
• The term Utilitarianism was introduced by philosopher Jeremy Bentham.
• According to Utilitarianism, 'the good' is defined as that which brings about the most overall happiness or pleasure.

Types of Utilitarianism

• 'Act Utilitarianism' emphasizes the outcomes of individual actions rather than rules or societal norms.
• John Stuart Mill refined the idea of Utilitarianism, introducing qualitative distinctions of pleasure.

Virtue Ethics

• In virtue ethics, a virtue is a character trait that promotes individual and collective well-being.
• Aristotle defines a disposition in the context of virtue ethics as a consistent tendency to act in certain ways.
• Virtue ethics implies that moral conduct is rooted in the character and virtues of the individual rather than solely on rules or consequences.

Aristotle's Contributions

• Aristotle concludes that a virtue is a mean between two extremes of excess and deficiency, promoting a balanced behavior.
• A virtue is distinguished from merely performing an action by the notion that virtues reflect consistent dispositions and character.

Nursing Ethics

• In the context of nursing, a person who regularly acts in a friendly manner exemplifies a virtuous character.
• An example of a virtue in nursing includes compassion, integrity, and empathy.
• The main focus of Virtue Ethics in nursing is to cultivate character traits that enhance moral practice and patient care.

Moral Decision-Making in Nursing

• For nurses to participate confidently in moral decision-making, they need a strong foundation in personal virtues.
• The use of reason during moral decision-making demands that nurses act as moral agents who consider ethical principles and values.
• The primary purpose of Virtue Ethics in nursing is to develop caring and competent practitioners who contribute to positive health outcomes.

Virtues and Ethical Principles

• According to Virtue Ethics, lacking personal virtues renders moral reasoning insufficient in practice.
• Nurses, as moral agents, play a critical role in embodying virtues that uphold ethical principles.
• To behave well consistently, nurses must demonstrate integrity, compassion, and professionalism in their practice.