Running head: ETHICAL FRAMEWORK

Personal Beliefs and Ethical Framework

Stephanie Rebeiro
CSU Stanislaus

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Personal Beliefs and Ethical Framework

Ethics are made up of each individuals beliefs and are unique to each person. These
beliefs play a role in every part of a persons life. As a nurse, ethics will help guide decisions that
are made in difficult situations. In this paper I will discuss both my core beliefs and my ethical
framework, and then apply them to a clinical situation.
I have a couple core beliefs that will help guide me in my practice. These beliefs include
that every person should be treated the equally, regardless of their background or social status.
Treatment should not be based on how much money a person makes, what religion they follow,
or what ethnicity they are comprised of. Equal and fair treatment should be given to everyone. I
believe that every person that comes into a hospital is a human being and should be treated as
such. Better treatment should not be given to the wounded police officer as opposed to the
homeless person who was injured on the street. I believe that everyone should be treated with the
best care possible. In order to decide what the best care would be, I will look at every patient as
if they were a member of my family and treat them as such.
The ethical theory that I agree with the most is the Social Equity and Justice theory. I like
this theory because it states that social status and economic position are open to everyone and an
advantage for all. It is unfair to judge people according to the amount of money they make, or the
way that they fit into the social ladder of life. Each person has their own hardships and prosperity
in life and should not be judged according to this. I also like this theory because of the idea of the
veil of ignorance. This means that those who are making decisions and choices are unaware of
the social status of any person and therefore not being judgmental or unfair in any form. Each
human being is deserving of social justice and equity.
I believe that people should be treated equally regardless of their social status or
economic position. Under the Social Equity and Justice theory everyone is treated impartialy and

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uniformly. These two statements coincide. I also believe that people should not be thought of as a
social status but rather as human beings. The Social Equity and Justice Theory uses the idea of
the veil of ignorance. Using this idea will allow all people to be treated equally without any
discrimination. This theory in whole supports the fair and equal treatment that I believe in.
When looking at both my core beliefs and the structure of the Social Equity and Justice
theory, I have formed my own ethical framework.
In my professional nursing practice I will not let a patients social status or
economic position effect the care and treatment that I give; all patients will
be treated with the care and dignity that every human being deserves.
I witnessed a situation where such beliefs were brushed to the side by a nurse
practitioner. I was following around my nurse one day for clinical. She had a patient that
was previously diagnosed with heart failure. While he was in the hospital it was evident
that he was not taking care of himself the way he should be, especially while having a
bad heart. The nurse practitioner who came to examine him noticed this as well and
pretty much decided that since this man was not going to take care of himself that he
should be discharged without any teaching or medications. She said that since he wasnt
going to change and couldnt afford his medications anyway that there was no point in
having the heart nurse come to do any teaching or send him home with any medications.
Fortunately my nurse stood up for the patient and argued with the nurse practitioner that
she needed to write the orders for the medication and not discharge him until the heart
specialist had come to do some teaching with him. The nurse practitioner reluctantly
listened to my nurse after a few minutes of debating.

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I am glad that my nurse had beliefs similar to my own. I found it very shocking
that the nurse practitioner would even say what she did. If I were in this situation I
definitely would have advocated for my patient. Whether he looks like he can afford
mediations and follow a diet/exercise plan or not he still deserves equal opportunity for
his health as anyone else.