BSN GENERIC NOTES FOR YEAR II SEMESTER IV

1. UNIT-01
INTRODUCTION TO NURSING ETHICS
Sadique Ali Chandio
Nursing Instructor
CON Male Larkana

2. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this presentation the learner will be able to :
 Discuss ethics, nursing ethics, bio ethics, value , belief,
morals, attitude, conflict, dilemma and ethical dilemma.
 Discuss importance of ethics in nursing.
 Develop characteristics of a professional nurse.

3. What is ethics ?
 Ethics: The English word "ethics" is derived from the
Ancient Greek word ethos , meaning "relating to one's
character", it means expected standard of behavior.
 The branch of philosophy concerned with the distinction
of right from wrong on the basis of a body of knowledge
rather than on just opinions.
 Ethics is a set of rules or standards governing the
conduct of a particular human action or profession.

4.  Ethics is a formal study of basis of what is right or wrong.
It is a systematic approach to understanding, analyzing
and distinguishing matters of right and wrong, good or
bad.
 Ethics looks at human behavior - people do things under
different types of circumstances.
Types of ethics
 General ethics Applied ethics
i. Meta ethics i.Employee ethics
ii.Normative ethics ii. Healthcare ethics
iii. Nursing ethics

5. Types of ethics
1. GENERAL ETHICS: general ethics are part from any
particular field of application . Its types are as under
 Meta ethics ( Moral philosophy or philosophical ethics
.it is more related to study of ethical theory itself )
 Normative ethics (Concerned with norms , standards or
criteria that define principles of ethical behavior)
2. APPLIED ETHICS: How we have to apply normative
theories to specific issues usually related to work or an
organization in form of policies and procedures :
 Employee ethics
 Health care ethics
 Nursing ethics:

6. Nursing Ethics
 Nursing ethics is branch of bio ethics / applied
ethics which is concerned with activities in the
field of nursing.
 Nursing ethics shares many principles with
medical ethics, such as beneficence, non-
maleficence and respect for autonomy. It can be
distinguished by its emphasis on relationships,
human dignity and collaborative care.

7. Nursing ethics ……..
 Nursing ethics provide the standards for
professional behavior and are the study of
principles of right and wrong conduct for nurses.
Nursing ethics state the duties and obligation of
nurses to their clients, other healthcare
professionals, the profession and the community.
Nursing ethics overall focus on problems related
to nursing profession as a whole.

8. Bio ethics
 Bio ethics: It is the study of ethical issues
emerging from advances in biology and
medicine. It is also moral judgment as it relates
to medical policy and practice.
 The ethics of medical and biological research.
 It governs life sciences like responsible
research conduct, environmental ethics &
sustainable health care.
 Clinical Ethics: is a branch of bio-ethics
concerned with ethical problems at bed side.

9. Value and belief
 Value: The regard that something is held to deserve ; the
importance ; worth or usefulness of something.
 Values are different from principles, in that they influence
the development of beliefs and attitudes, rather than
behaviors. They may, however, indirectly influence
behaviors.
 Belief: An acceptance that something exists or is true,
especially one without proof as trust, faith or confidence (
in some one or something)


10. Morals –Attitude -Conflict
 Morals means something related to principles of
right or wrong .
 Attitude: An attitude is a positive or negative
evaluation which influence human behavior
towards that object.
 Conflict: is a serious disagreement or argument
about something important.
 Conflict is a state of mind in which you find it
difficult to decide.

11. Dilemma-Ethical dilemma
 Dilemma: A dilemma is defined as a situation requiring a
choice between two equally desirable or undesirable
alternatives.
 Ethical dilemma: A conflict between two or more ethical
principles.
Ethical dilemma paradigms
i)Truth VS loyalty
ii) Individual VS community
iii) Justice VS mercy

12. Types of ethical dilemma
 Euthanasia(Intentional killing or merciful death of
someone suffering from a terminal illness)
 Refusal of Treatment: (Based on the principle of
autonomy. A client’s rights to refuse treatment and to die
often challenge the values of most health care providers)
 Scarcity of Resources: (The allocation of scarce resources
(e.g. organs, specialists) is emerging as a major medical
dilemma)

13. Importance of ethics in nursing
 Ethics are fundamental to nursing. All nurses
should respect their patients, maintain patients’
dignity and protect patients’ rights. Nurses must
create an environment of mutual trust and
respect between patients and healthcare
professionals.
 A nurse’s priority is to focus on the care and
rights of their patients and put aside any
prejudices concerning a patient’s situation

14. Continued…..
 Ethics in nursing includes fair and equitable treatment of
all patients regardless of the following:
 Economic status.
 Age.
 Ethnicity.
 Citizenship.
 Disability.
 Sexual orientation.

15. Characteristics of a professional nurse
 Caring
 Honest
 Faithful
 Patient
 Good listener • Accountable • Competent •
Confident • Commitment
 Non judgmental
 Safe care provider

16. Characteristics ……
 Maintain ethical standards in practice
 Encourage peer to follow the same
 Follows policies and procedures defined by the
institution.
 Maintains ethical conduct.
 Responsible.

17. References
 Beauchamp T and Childress J (2001) Principles of
Biomedical Ethics 5th Edition Oxford University
Press
 Hunt G (1994) Ethical Issues in Nursing Routledge.
London.
 Seed house D (1998) Ethics the heart of Health
Care Wiley. Winchester.
 Watt H (2000) Life and Death in Health Care Ethics
Rutledge. London
 Internet resources