Medical Ethics Nursing

Medical ethics, the study of what is moral and right, in relation to the practice of medicine. It considers two different perspectives, the ethical/professional standpoint and the public concern perspective. Ethical decisions in medicine are made when a physician thinks that a patient’s suffering is so severe that continuing the medical treatment is not possible or reasonable under the circumstances. The second opinion, the public concern standpoint, is when a person views that there is an excessive demand for medical services or health care which is unjustified given the state of the health of the individual. These two groups generally come into play in any situation where medicine is at stake. This is why nursing assignments in medical ethics require comprehensive training not only on the medical ethics aspect but also on basic nursing skills such as infection control, safety, proper disposal of hazardous waste, patient education and personal protective equipment.

One good example is a situation that involves organ transplantation. As a nurse, you would know that there are many standards to follow, and they apply to both the doctors and the nurses who will be handling the organs. There are rules regarding the amount of time spent performing the transplant operation and the number of attempts the organs are transplanted. There is also a very detailed code of ethics that every healthcare organization has regarding organ transplantation. Every hospital should have written protocols that go with their specific medical system.

Nursing staff that work under the auspices of an established healthcare organization’s guidelines and policies should not fail to observe these rules, even if it means stepping outside of the system’s norms. This can cause major problems for the patient and the institution and jeopardize any further medical assistance being supplied. In other words, it can endanger the very existence of hospitals and the health of patients. For this reason, complete medical ethics training is imperative for all nursing staff.

The first and most important step is to study the Hippocratic Oath taken by medical doctors when they became practitioners. The pledge states that they “will obey the orders of the Doctor”. It is also made clear that they “will take no action that may harm the public or may be against the interest of any person”. This is a vow that must never be broken.

Nursing is just one of the many branches of medicine. Like all the branches, it too has its own rules and regulations that need to be followed. Nursing ethics states that “a nurse has a duty to take reasonable use this link care to ensure the health and welfare of the patient”. This means that a nurse should use all available resources properly while providing patients with medical care.

A nurse should also be aware that the Hippocratic oath was only made applicable during the ancient times. This would place modern nursing in a whole different league compared to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Today, modern medicine still considers many of the same ethical principles as those practiced during the time of the Hippocrates. Modern nursing also teaches that a nurse’s actions are guided by their best judgment and not based on the advice of others.

Another important principle of Hippocratic ethics is, “A nurse should have knowledge and faith in himself”. The first duty of a nurse is to become self-aware. By knowing one’s self, the nurse can better help the other healers who also treat patients. In addition, by becoming self-aware, a nurse also becomes more competent in deciding whether a procedure is required that may be harmful to a patient.

It should also be noted that a nurse is also allowed to have an emotional reaction when he or she observes something that might be harmful to a patient. However, this should not override his or her duty to act in the best interests of the patient. The Hippocratic code demands, “A nurse should at all times act in the best interest of the patients.” If a nurse disregards this code of ethics, it is possible for legal action to be taken against the nurse.