Carlatan, City of San Fernando

College of Nursing

NAME: FAYLOGA, John Mheldrick R. SUBJECT: HEALTHCARE ETHICS

COURSE/SECTION: BSN II - VII MARILYN RAY DATE: 11/28/23

HEALTH CARE ETHICS (NCM 108) FIRST SEMESTER SY 2023-2024
Finals 1 Case for Solution

1. A nurse says that her conscience clearly dictates that she should not
assist with a particular operation. One of the doctors present says that he
went to a Catholic medical school, and he would assure her that the
operation is not immoral. Should the nurse follow her conscience or the
advice of the doctor?

-In a situation where a nurse's conscience conflicts with the advice of a doctor,
the nurse should follow her conscience. Nurses have a professional obligation to
uphold ethical principles and act in the best interests of their patients. This
includes respecting the patient's autonomy and refusing to participate in any
procedure that violates their rights or their moral beliefs.
In the case you described, the nurse has clearly stated that her conscience
prohibits her from assisting with the operation. The doctor's assurance that the
operation is not immoral does not negate the nurse's personal conviction. While
the doctor's opinion may be based on their own religious or ethical beliefs, it
should not override the nurse's own moral compass.
If the nurse feels strongly about her conscience, she should respectfully decline
to participate in the operation. She should explain her reasons to the doctor and
the patient in a clear and concise manner. If the doctor or patient is not satisfied
 with her decision, the nurse should escalate the issue to her supervisor or the
hospital's ethics committee.

2. “Most moralists/ ethicists do not understand medical terminology and

medical problems,” is the remark of a health-care provider. “As long as I
am not certain that anything I do is morally wrong, then I go ahead and do
it.” Is the health- care professional acting correctly?

- No, the health care professional is not acting correctly. Even if a health care provider
does not fully understand medical terminology and medical problems, they still
have a moral obligation to act in the best interests of their patients. This means that
they should always strive to provide the best possible care, even if they are not
certain that their actions are morally right. In the case of the health care provider
who made the remark, it is clear that they are not taking their moral obligations
seriously. They are essentially saying that they are willing to do things that they
know might be morally wrong, as long as they are not sure that they are wrong. This
is a dangerous attitude, as it could lead to the provider making decisions that harm
their patients.

3. Statement: “All men do not agree on the so-called principles of natural

law. This proves that they are not universal principles.” What is your
reaction to this statement?

- The statement that “All men do not agree on the so-called principles of
natural law. This proves that they are not universal principles” is a flawed
argument. It is based on the false premise that the lack of universal
agreement on a topic means that the topic is not real or true. There are many
things in the world that we all agree on, such as the existence of gravity or the fact
that the Earth is round. However, there are also many things that we do not agree
on, such as the best way to govern a country or the meaning of life. This lack of
agreement does not mean that these things are not real or true; it simply means
that we have different perspectives on them. The same is true for natural law.
Natural law is a theory in ethics and philosophy that holds that there are certain
moral principles that are inherent in human nature and that are therefore universal.
However, there is no single, universally accepted definition of natural law, and there
is much debate about what specific principles should be included under this
heading. This lack of agreement does not mean that natural law is not real or true. It
simply means that we have different perspectives on what constitutes natural law.
Some people believe that natural law is based on reason, while others believe that it
is based on emotion or instinct. Some people believe that natural law is based on
religious beliefs, while others believe that it is based on secular principles.