Running Head: Ethics In Nursing 1

Ethics In Nursing

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Ethics In Nursing 2

Introduction

Nurses have inhibited professionalism in upholding the interest of their patients at the

same time ensuring their well-being. The party in the position of power has the responsibility

to maintain the necessary high professional standards. Ethics in nursing is a critical branch of

moral philosophy which deals with the dilemma in obligations and their possible outcome.

Since ancient days, nursing professionals made up ethics around nursing as well as ethical

ways knowing, acting as well as caring.

Today nurses participate in ethical judgment making as well as behaviors as a result

of morality and performance of issues surrounding patient care. Bioethical matters are

relevant to nurses’ everyday work, yet in issues of bioethics, nurses stand not at all times

independent decision makers. The decisions nurses make are mostly influenced by the

existing ethical theories and ethical principles.

Utilitarianism

Utilitarianism or consequentialism is a moral philosophy that states that any action

can be reflected as good or bad when its result is considered (Burkhardt, & Nathaniel, 2014).

Utilitarianism can, therefore, be viewed as a normative moral theory that places the

determination of what is right and what is wrong only on consequences of selecting one

action over the other actions. The proper action in a particular situation is defined as the one

that portrays the greatest usefulness by the utilitarian school of thought. They further claim

that no action is either good or bad in itself, but the results obtained from them make them

good or bad.

How Utilitarianism Can Apply To A Nurse Practice.

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Utilitarianism can apply in a nursing profession in two ways. These two forms of

utilitarianism which are act utilitarianism as well as rule utilitarianism. In both forms there is

an agreement in that using proper sense, the aim of morality should be to serve the collective

interest of the society through maximizing social value. Act utilitarianism provides that

morally right action is the one that maximizes the anticipated social utility in a given

situation. Nurses, therefore, would apply act utilitarianism in choosing the action with the

best outcome or at least the one with the minimal bad results.

Rule utilitarianism provides that morally right action has two steps that it must meet.

First, a morally right move must be the one that would maximize the anticipated social value

in comparable situations. Second, the action must be defined as the in compliance with the

moral rule. Rule utilitarianism will, therefore, apply in a nurse decision making since they

must abide by the set rules of practice at the same time opting to choose an action that would

maximize the best outcome.

How Utilitarianism Assists Nurses In Developing Principles As Registered Nurses.

Nurse’s decisions on which action to take in a given situation heavily depend on

Principles that will guide nurses in their practice. The principles then find their roots in the

theory of utilitarianism in several ways. Act utilitarianism in itself advocates that action in

every individual situation must yield the best overall outcome. A nurse, therefore, should act

in a manner that promises to contribute most to the overall happiness and outweigh possible

misery at the same time be accountable for the outcome his or her actions. This situation will

help the nurse to act with fairness, humanity, and justice since he or she will take full charge

of his or her actions. The rationality of rule utilitarianism requires nurses to abide by the

rules strictly and automatically. Rule utilitarianism does away with deeds of prediction or
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calculation. Instead, rule utilitarianism recommends strict following of known ethical rules

making nurses behave in a predetermined professional manner.

While it is mostly agreed that practical moral customs will uphold the interest of

patients as well as those of society, a further step is taken by the utilitarians. They consider

that the only reasonable basis for our submission to many moral norms is the value these

standards provide for us as well as for the society in general. It is assumed that nurses who

are human beings have two primary concerns which are their interests and the well-being of

other people including patients. Utilitarianism considers benefits of human beings based on

equality, freedom, justice, and fairness amongst others and as nurses act to defend the interest

of others in this case patients, they tend to develop ethical principles.

In the current nursing practice, utilitarianism is applicable in many ways. Some of

these ways include setting an objective by health centers for resuscitation of premature new-

borns or in the treatment of mentally impaired patients. Utilitarianism is applied by nurses

when treating a patient who is competent to contribute to decision making as well as those

who are incompetent. In a scenario where a patient is in a permanent vegetative state, the

decision on whether to withdraw life support or to donate organs can be made ethically and

legally. For this reason, ethics are inevitable in a nurse’s profession at all times.

Beneficence

Beneficence means doing good to other people (Burkhardt, & Nathaniel, 2014). This

Principle requires that nurse’s actions should benefit patients. The general description of

beneficence is deeds of mercy, kindness as well as charity. It implies doing well to others and

appeals a wide range of moral responsibility (Husted, Husted, Scotto, & Wolf, 2015).

Beneficent actions can be executed from the point of obligation in whatever is owed as well

as from over what is owed. In the nursing environment, modern thought on beneficence
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principle upholds humanism. Patients have absolute rights to life and liberty, which are to be

honored, cherished, and facilitated. Devotion toward the patient as well as his or her misery

demonstrates respect for the patient and for life itself. Nurses need to act in a manner that

leads to the patient's recovery and be careful to avoid any action that can cause harm to

patients. Beneficence struggles for the best care for patients at the same time try to avoid

doing anything harmful which makes beneficence and nonmalfeasance, which is the active

evasion of any action that would result to harm interrelate.

The reason why beneficence is my preferred principle is that it incorporates the

foundational concepts of nursing which are, doing good deeds, upholding acts that benefit

others, as well as preventing harm (Peirce, & Smith, 2013). Nurses who motivated by

beneficence just don’t perform actions of kindness in a disorganized manner when the chance

arises, but they pursue ways to execute acts of compassion rather than only identifying ways

to do what’s noble.

How Beneficence Guide Nursing Practice.

Beneficence advocates for the existence of a healthy margin for a nurse-patient

relationship which builds the clinical competency witnessed in the clinical interventions. This

acknowledgment of, as well as support for, the patient's boundary aids nurses to maintain the

professional principles while ensuring the utmost probable benefit to all. Prudent nurses

avoid words as well as images that cause fear and unease in a patient with an aim of

increasing the quantity of services and are cautious to communicate truthfully keeping in

mind that the message as well as metamessage is an essential component of the healing

process. This act symbolizes beneficence.

Standard 7, ANA Scope And Standards Of Nursing Practice.

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Standard 7 Provides ethics expected from a registered nurse. It stipulates the

competencies a registered nurse should portray in his or her practice as well as providing a

code of ethics for nurses to follow. It further stipulates that nurses should practice with

respect and compassion as well as inherent dignity for all patients (American Nurses

Association, 2015). It also promotes the safety, health, as well as rights of the patients and

others. It also Protects the privacy and confidentiality patients, and their information within

ethical, legal, as well as regulatory bounds.

The Standards of Professional Nursing Practice are commanding statements of the

obligations that all registered nurses, irrespective of role, population, or department, are

anticipated to execute proficiently. The standards available herein may be used as proof of

the standard of care, considering that application of such standards is circumstantial

dependent. ANA has it that in the practice of nursing, competence can be distinct, measured,

and assessed. ANA also provides that healthy nurses have a full capacity life, as they develop

to stronger role models, advocates, educators for their families, themselves, their

communities, as well as eventually for their patients (Huston, 2014).

The code of ethics provisions 1 and 2 guides the nurse to act with compassion to

every patient and show elementary commitment to the patient whether an individual or a

community. Standard 7 provides the nurse with the ethics to follow while practicing while

utilitarianism and beneficence guide the nurse in taking action with the maximum benefit and

doing good to patients respectively. When all these guides are combined nurses can make

informed decisions based on humanity and professionalism.

Conclusion

Ethical matters are dominant in the health industry, particularly nursing practice, since

nurses have individual interaction with patients’ every day (Cherry, 2016). Ethical issues are
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wide-ranging, from organ donation and their actions based on their decisions are critical.

Ethics, professionalism, humanity, and well-being of others should always prevail in nursing

practice. For this reason, utilitarianism and beneficence and guidelines provided by standard

7 and provisions of the code of conduct are necessary.

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Reference

Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2014). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing.

American Nurses Association,. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice.

Cherry, B. (2016). Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends, & management. Mosby.

Huston, C. J. (2014). Professional issues in nursing: Challenges & opportunities

In Stanhope, M., & In Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered

health care in the community.

Husted, G. L., Husted, J. H., Scotto, C. J., & Wolf, K. M. (2015). Bioethical decision making

in nursing. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Peirce, A. G., & Smith, J. A. (2013). Ethical and legal issues for doctoral nursing students: A

textbook for students and reference for nurse leaders. Lancaster, PA: DEStech Publications.