Course Code

[Course Title]

[Unit/Week Number eg Unit 2: Introduction to Ethics in Nursing]

Objectives

Upon completion of this topic, you will be able to

  • Objective 1
  • Objective 2
  • Objective 3
  • Objective 4.
  • Objective 5.

References

Readings

  • Deluane & Ladner. (2002). Fundamentals of Nursing, Chapter 24, pp. 477 – 480.
  • Guido. (2006). Legal and Ethical issues in nursing, chapter 1, pp.1 – 12.
  • Role of the nurse (Lindberg, J., Hunter, M. & Kruszewski, A.)

Websites

List of websites

Journals

List of websites

Powerpoint Slides

List of Powerpoint titles

Welcome to Unit/Week N

Write an Introduction to the Unit/Week. Example is given below

Many a time nurses ask questions about life and attempt to be reflective in their answers. They may have had ‘morally’ good answers and ‘good behaviour’ during the first few years of their careers. However, as the working years go by, good practices and values unintentionally begin to fade. The ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ answers and behaviour subtly come to play. These may not be ‘ethical’ nor even at times be ‘lawful’, but they have become the norm.

The delivery of ethical health care is becoming an increasingly difficult and confusing issue in contemporary society. Nurses are committed to maintaining client’s rights in terms of the provision of information about health care and treatment. This desire to protect the client’s rights, however, often conflicts with professional duties and institutional policies. It is essential to balance these two perspectives so that the primary objective, which is delivery of quality care, is achieved. (Abstract taken from Fundamentals of Nursing, Delaune & Ladner, 2002)

A code of ethics is considered an essential characteristic of a profession, which ensures professional standards are established, maintained and improved. It indicates the profession’s acceptance of the trust and responsibility which society has invested into. With the increased complexity of health care and what seems to be a changing morality in the world at large, understanding and adherence to such a code is more important that ever for nurses today.

There is a tendency to use the words moral and ethical interchangeably in the literature of nursing profession. However, in the last few years, the need to differentiate between the two terms has become more evident. Morality is usually based on decisions of conscience, made in accordance with self-chosen principles of justice. These principles are comprehensive, universal and consistent. However these principles may also be abstract and ethical, rather than concrete moral rules.

Winston Churchill puts it more simply: “Morality is generally defined as behaviour according to custom or tradition. Ethics, by contrast, is the free, rational assessment of courses of actions in relation to precepts, rules, conduct……… To be ethical a person must take the additional step of exercising critical, rational judgment in his decisions.”

Let’s begin this interesting subject by doing the readings and activities.

Description of an Activity. In the example below, the activity is reading, giving reference to specific page of a book

Readings / Please read
1. Fundamentals of Nursing, Chapter 24, pp. 477 – 480.
Deluane & Ladner write about ethical theories. They also say that “no theory in and itself can provide the ‘correct’ answer to any single ethical conflict.”
2. Legal and Ethical issues in nursing, chapter 1, pp.1 – 12. Guido discusses the differences between ethics and law. She also compares the various ethical theories and gives guidelines on hospital ethics.

Another example of an acrtivity. Instruction is given and the students have to write in the online Note Book

Activity / Before you continue this lesson, you need to be able to define the following terms so that you have a clear understanding of each meaning
  • Ethics
  • Bioethics
  • Moral issues
  • Values
  • Teleogical theory
  • Deontological
  • Beneficence
  • Veracity
  • Paternalism
Write the definitions in the Note book

In the next example, students have to answer some questions in the Note Book

Activity / Is it important for nurses to study ethics?
Take a mental walk around your ward and watch your staff at work.
What kind of values do they portray? What do you think of the current values in nursing ethics?
Write your thoughts in the Note book

Example of an instruction

Let’s move on to another aspect of ethics and morals.

The next activity is reading, giving reference to specific page of a book

Readings / Please read
The role of the nurse as professional. (Lindberg, J., Hunter, M. & Kruszewski, A.)
The examples given in this reading are very true to most nurses.
Please find more articles / examples on hospital cases that challenge your ethical beliefs.

Some more instructions

You would by now, be questioning how ethical are your present practices and wonder how you alone can make a change. Don’t be too concerned. There is now an awakening of the fundamentals of the nursing profession; nurses are going back to why they became nurses. Nurses all over the world are re –evaluating their professional nursing values. Like it or not, this trend will affect most nurses.

I am sure you can relate to all the issues we discussed in this unit. As a review, attempt the final activity in this unit, before you progress to unit 3.

Instruction above is followed by an activity. In this case the activity is reflection

Reflection / You would have been able to relate to some cases (in the above readings) and must have even experienced some ethical dilemmas in the course of your work.
Do you think that nurses, be they junior or senior, have to make ethical and moral decisions every day?
Are nurses trained for this?
What changes would you make in your ward / hospital to the ethical challenges you and your colleagues are experiencing?
Write your thoughts (and give examples) in the Note book
.

In the next few units we will go further along the ethical byway and take a closer look at our profession.

See you next week.

1