Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing (WK 8)

Question 1

What is ethics

Answer 1

• Study of what’s right and wrong based on what one thinks one ought to do
• a reflection of what matters most to people or professions

Question 2

What is CNA code of ethics

Answer 2

• outlines nurses’ professional values and ethical commitments to their pts and the communities they serve

Question 3

What are values

Answer 3

• strong personal beliefs and an ideal that a person or group believes to have merit
• reflects cultural + social influences, relationships, and personal needs

Question 4

Why is it important to be aware of our own personal values?

Answer 4

need to understand your own values before you can understand the values of your pt
- so that you can be more sensitive to the values of others

Question 5

How are values acquired?

Answer 5

• starts in early childhood
• strongly influenced by family
• culture, ethnic background, religious community
• school, friends, social media

Question 6

what is value clarification?

Answer 6

• the process of appraising personal values
• a process of self-reflection
• when you clarify your values, you are making careful choices and obtaining greater self-awareness

Question 7

why is it important to clarify values?

Answer 7

• helps articulate what matters most and what priorities are guiding your life and decision making
• influences how you interpret confusing or conflicting info
• change as you mature and experience new situations
• to adopt new values, you need to be aware of how the existing ones are affecting behavior

Question 8

Nursing + ethics

Answer 8

• A Code of ethics is a statement of ethical values of nurses and of nurses’ commitments to persons w/ health care needs
• intent for nurses in all contexts and domains of nursing practice
• Nurses are bound to a code of ethics to serve and protect the public
• Code is developed by nurses or nurses

Question 9

What are the 7 values central to ethical nursing according to CN

Answer 9

Providing safe, compassionate, competent, ethical care
Promoting health and wellbeing
Promoting and respecting informed decision making
Preserving dignity
Maintaining privacy and confidentiality
Promoting justice
Being accountable

Question 10

According to the ICN, what are the 4 fundamental responsibilities of nurses?

Answer 10

1) promote
2 prevent illness
3) restore health
4) alleviate suffering

Question 11

Responsibility

Answer 11

• reliable + dependable
• able to distinguish right from wrong
• duty to perform actions adequately and thoughtfully

Question 12

Accountability

Answer 12

• grounded in the moral principle of fidelity and respect for dignity, worth, and self determination of others
• honest and practice with integrity
• accept responsibility to to account for one’s actions
• being answerable

Question 13

Advocacy

Answer 13

• acting on behalf of another person, speaking up for them

- protecting the pt’s right to choice by obtaining informed consent

Question 14

4 ethical principles in nursing

Answer 14

justice - to be fair
beneficence - to do good
nonmaleficence - to do no harm
autonomy - recognize each individual pts right to self-determination and decision making

Question 15

Ethical dilemma

Answer 15

the conflict between 2 sets of human values, both of which are judged to be good, but neither can be fully served