Rosales, Bea Nicole C.

Health Education

SEC BSN

Reflection Paper 2019

Ethics, simply defined, is a principle that describes what is expected in terms of right

and correct and wrong or incorrect in terms of behaviour. It is about the values that should be

respected by all healthcare workers while interacting with individuals, families and

communities. The said six principles of ethics and patient rights that will soon be relevant to

my future work as a healthcare practitioner are the following; autonomy, veracity,

confidentiality, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice. Reading the book, Nurse Educator

(on pages 42-48) will enable me to identify some of the most important ethical issues and

then find out how to work to resolve them. Working to clear, consistent ethical principles is

one of the most important components for delivering quality healthcare for individuals,

families and the community at large.

Autonomy refers to every individual’s right of self-determination, independence and

freedom to make their own choices. In the context of healthcare, the concept of autonomy is

most concerned with the ethical obligation of the practitioner to respect their clients’ right to

make decisions about their own health. Autonomy must be respected even if you, as the

healthcare provider, do not agree with the client’s decision.

A health care provider must observe veracity or truthfulness always. It is telling the

truth to someone who has the right to know the truth. The concept of truthfulness urges the

professional not to lie even if the information is upsetting. Yet you must get the informed

consent first, means that each person who has any sort of procedure done to them in a
healthcare context should give their approval for that procedure to be done to them. In order

to be fully informed, it is the duty of the healthcare worker to tell the person exactly what the

procedure will involve as well as the things that might happen if the procedure is not carried

out. While on the other hand, the concept of confidentiality urges you to keep a secret as a

healthcare practioner for the sake of your patient’s privacy and personal preference or

decision. By which we mean knowledge or information that a person has the right or

obligation to conceal. You must keep the result/diagnosis confidential unless your client

gives you permission to tell or disclose it to their family. Nonmaleficence tells you to ‘do no

harm’ whether intentionally or unintentionally to your clients. Telling you that negligence is

must not be done as possible. One must not harm his client or risk his safety. We must always

avoid committing mistakes as a person’s health & life is on line if we fail to do our task. On

the contrary, beneficence is about ‘doing good’. Conforming only in the best interest of the

client; relieving the suffering & pain yet not putting the healthcare provider in danger. Lastly

justice is a complex ethical principle and it entails fairness, equality and impartiality; in other

words, the obligation to be fair to all people. The aim of the healthcare provider must be is to

provide effective healthcare and protect the client. Giving everyone the same professional

treatment, with no bias whoever they may be.

Ethics and ethical practice should be integrated into all aspects of nursing care. What I

learned today is that I should familiarize myself with these things as they will help me

become a great health care provider in the future. And I should always take into consideration

all of these factors before deciding or implementing a healthcare plan of the client.