Lecture 01: Health Care Ethics – Basic Concepts

Nurses
- are exposed to daily work and experience exposed them to events of birth, death,
and suffering.
- must decide on the morality of their own actions in ethical issues.

Nurse Client Relationship

➢ Support and advocate clients.
➢ Assist families when facing difficult choices.
➢ Nurses need to develop sensitivity to the ethical dimensions of nursing
practice. (careful, meticulous)

Values
➢ Lahat ng makikita sa personality, good values
➢ Enduring beliefs or attitude about the worth of person, object, idea, or action.
➢ It influences decisions and actions including nurses’ ethical decision making.

Values are derived from:

➢ Work
➢ Family
➢ Religion
➢ Politics
➢ Money
➢ Relationships

Value System
➢ Basic to the ways of life, give direction to life and form the basis of behavior.
➢ Beliefs and attitudes are related but not identical to values.
➢ People have many beliefs and attitudes but have a smaller number of values.

Beliefs or Opinions
➢ Interpretations / conclusions that people accept as true.
➢ Based on faith rather than fact and does not necessarily involve values.

Beliefs – internal feeling that something is true, may be unproven / irrational.

Attitudes
➢ Are mental positions / feeling towards person, object, or ideas.
(like acceptance, compassion, openness)
➢ Attitude lasts overtime as belief lasts only briefly.
➢ Often judged as good or bad, positive or negative as to belief as correct or
incorrect.
➢ The way a person expresses or applies their beliefs and values through words
and behavior. (positive, negative, neutral)
Values Transmission
➢ Learned through observation and experience, influenced by socio cultural
environment. (skills, knowledge, attitude)
➢ By social traditions, culture, ethics, and religious groups and by family and
peer group.

Personal Values – derived from society and their individual subgroups. (internalized)

Professional Values – acquired during socialization into nursing from codes of ethics,
nursing experience, teachers, and peers.

Values Classification
➢ a process by which people identify, examine, and develop their own
individual values.
➢ Principle: No one set of values is right for everyone.
➢ Promotes personal growth by fostering awareness, empathy, and insight.
➢ An important step for nurses to take in dealing with ethical problems.

Clarifying Nurse Values – reflect on the values they hold about life, death, health,
and illness.

Clarifying Client Values – planning of effective client-centered care, identify client’s

values while relate to a particular health problem.

Process that may help clients clarify their values:

1. List all alternatives.
2. Examine possible consequences of choices (actions)
3. Choose freely.
4. Feeling about the choice.
5. Affirm the choice.
6. Act with a pattern.

Ethics – refers to a method of inquiry that helps people to understand the morality of
human behavior.

Bioethics – ethics applied to human life or health decisions. (core principles:

autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice)

Nursing Ethics – ethical issues that occur in nursing practice.

Health Ethics
➢ Ethics that deals with ethical issues in health, health care, medicine, and
science.
➢ Involves discussion about choices and care options that individuals, families,
and health care providers must face.
➢ Require a critical reflection of the relationship between health care provider
and the patients.
 ➢ As well as the programs, systems, and structures developed for the health of
the population.

Heath care ethics (Bioethics)

➢ Also called “medical ethics”.
➢ Application of the core values of bioethics to medical and health care
decisions.
➢ A multidisciplinary lens through which to view complex issues and make
recommendations.

Morality
➢ Similar to ethics, interchangeably.
➢ Private, personal standards of what is right or wrong in conduct, character,
and attitude.
➢ Laws reflect the moral values of society.

Moral development – the process of learning to tell the difference between right or
wrong.

Moral Framework – use of moral theories in developing explanation for their ethical
decisions and actions.

Theories
➢ Consequence based theories (Teleological)
➢ Issues of fairness as focus.

Utilitarianism – state of being useful, profitable, or beneficial.

Principle based theories (Deontological)

➢ Logical and formal processes and emphasize individual rights, duties, and
obligations.
➢ Done according to important objective principle.
➢ Obligated to act in accordance with a set of principles and rules.

Relationship based theories (Caring)

➢ Stress courage, generosity, commitment, and the need to nurture and
maintain relationships.
➢ According to perspective of caring and responsibility.
➢ The common good or the welfare of the group.

Morale Principles – statement that provides foundation for moral rules.

Ethical Principles
1. Justice – fairness, fair distribution of care among patients
2. Beneficence – doing good and right thing for the patient.
3. Nonmaleficence - doing no harm. Harm can be intentional or unintentional.
4. Accountability – accepting responsibility for one’s own actions.
 5. Fidelity – keeping one’s promises, faithful and true to profession.
6. Autonomy and patient self-determination – nurses accept clients as unique
people who have rights.
7. Veracity – being truthful with patients.
8. Confidentiality – prevents unauthorized use or disclosure of information.
9. Privacy – confidentiality of personal data

Patients’ rights – may vary in different countries and jurisdiction, depending upon
social and cultural norms.

Patient’s bill of rights – list of guarantees for those receiving medical care.

Informed consent – process of communication, patient is able to make an informed

and voluntary decision about accepting / declining care.
(patient’s opportunity to be informed.)

Poxy – another designated person to represent an individual / before a public body.

Living Wills
➢ Written legal instructions regarding preferences for medical care.
➢ What patients would want or not want, keep them alive or not, pain
management, organ donor.

Advance Directives – guide choices for doctors and caregivers if the client is
terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, late-stage dementia.

Power of Attorney
➢ Also called a durable power of attorney for healthcare or health care proxy.
➢ Advance directive in which designates a person to make decisions on behalf
of the person and they cannot do so.

Can be made by:

a. Health care agent
b. Health care proxy
c. Health care surrogate
d. Health care representative
e. Health care attorney-in-fact
f. Patient advocate

Address a number of possible end-of-life care decisions in the living will

1. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – restart heart after beating has
stopped.
2. Mechanical ventilation – takes over breathing if unable to breathe on your
own.
3. Tube feeding – supplies the body with nutrients and fluids intravenously or via
tube in the stomach.
 4. Antibiotics or antiviral medications – used to treat infections. How would you
be treated, or let infections run their course.
5. Comfort care (palliative care) – interventions to keep patient comfortable.
6. Organ and tissue donations – transplantation specified through living will.
7. Donating your body – for scientific study, also can be specified as well.

Do not resuscitate and do not intubate orders

➢ Isn’t included in advance directive or living will, inform doctor to include in
medical records.
➢ Established each time patient is admitted to a health care facility.

Lecture 02: Other Ethical Principles

I. Principle of Doubt Effect / Doctrine of Doubt Effect

➢ Often invoked to causes the permissibility of an action that causes serious
harm or causes a harm as side effect.

Thomas Aquinas - introduced the principle of double effect of permissibility of self-

defense.

Two effects of the act of self-defense

➢ The saving of one’s life.
➢ The slaying of the aggressor.

Set of criteria - an action having foreseen harmful effects practically inseparable

from the good effect is justifiable.

✓ The nature of the act is itself good, or at least morally neutral;

✓ The agent intends the good effect and does not intend the bad effect either
as a means to the good or as an end in itself;
✓ The good effect outweighs the bad effect in circumstances sufficiently grave
to justify causing the bad effect and the agent exercises due diligence to
minimize the harm.

Intentional harm vs Side effects

➢ Difference between an "intended" consequence of an act and one that is
foreseen by the actor but not calculated to achieve his motive.

Four Doctrines / Conditions

1. The nature-of-the-act condition – the action must be either morally good or
indifferent.
2. The means end condition – bad effect must not be the means by which one
achieves the good effect.
3. The right intention condition – achieving of only the good effect, with the bad
effect being unintended side effect.
 4. The proportionality condition – there must be a proportionately grave reason
for preventing the evil effect.

➢ This principle is commonly referred to in cases of euthanasia.

➢ Modern warfare, despite the effectiveness of precision weapons, civilians are
often hurt and killed.
➢ The doctrine of double effect is sometimes put forward as a defense.
➢ Applies in abortion when the mother’s life is in danger.

II. Principle of Legitimate Cooperation

➢ Portrays the principle of the double effect in a scenario in which more than
one person participates in the actions being involved.
➢ Basic principle of legitimate cooperation is that people should never do
anything that is not morally permissible.

Formal cooperation
➢ Is a deliberate cooperation in an evil action or practice.
➢ Example: voters take part in a propaganda campaign in favor of an
intrinsically unjust law, such as a law permitting abortion or euthanasia.

Material cooperation
➢ Occurs when a person’s actions unintentionally help another person do
something wrong.
➢ Example: someone who delivers telephone books doesn’t intend that anyone
use them to make a call to arrange an abortion.

Immediate material cooperation

➢ The action could not be performed without the help of the person assisting.
➢ Example: any form of employment in an abortion clinic

Mediate material cooperation

➢ Cooperator does not share the intentions of the agent and participates in
circumstances not essential to commission of the act.
➢ Example: employment in a secular hospital that provides morally prohibited
procedures.

III. Principle of Common Good and Subsidiary

Common good
➢ morally correct the policy or action that most benefits the majority, and the
principle of justice establishes that all individuals should have equal access to
needed goods and services.
➢ Sum total of those conditions of social living whereby citizens are enabled
more fully and more readily to achieve their own perfection.
Subsidiarity
➢ Only those decisions and tasks that cannot be effectively decided upon or
performed by a supported or subsidized lower-level authority ought to be
relegated to a more central or higher authority.
➢ Implies that the first responsibility to meet human needs rests with the free and
competent individual, then with the local group.

Principles of Bioethics
1. Principle of Stewardship and Role of Nursing as Stewards
Stewardship
➢ Demands a way of life that encourages virtue and bears the fruit of solidarity
anong people.
➢ Responsible management of our God - given resources of time, talent, and
treasure.
➢ Christ-centered rather than self-centered and involves a conversion of the
heart.
➢ Lifelong journey with each person at a different place on the path.

Biblical world view of stewardship

➢ "Utilizing and managing all resources God provides for the glory of God and
the betterment of His creation."
➢ Managing everything God brings into the believer's life in a manner that
honors God.

Nurse stewards – hold potential to inform meaningful change in nursing practice.

Stewardship – a concept that offers nurse leaders critical insight into how they can
assist nurses to shift their epistemology of practice.

Personal and Social Stewardship

Good stewardship - committed to selfless service, believe in sustainability, practice
inclusiveness, embrace innovation and change, team players, and they're quick to
give others credit.

Ecological stewardship – a person can take action, donate money, and practice
good stewardship on a daily basis.

Biomedical Stewardship
➢ Refers to the wide range of functions carried out by government as they
seek to achieve national health policy objectives.
➢ Improving overall levels of population health, relative roles of public, private,
and voluntary sectors, as well as civil society in the provision and financing
of health care.
2. Principle of totality and it’s integrity
➢ States that all decisions in medical ethics must prioritize the good of the
entire person, including physical, psychological, and spiritual factors.

According to Thomas Aquinas

➢ All of the organs and other parts of the body exist for the sake of the whole
person.
➢ Example: justification of the amputation of the gangrenous limb.

Ethico moral responsibility of each Registered Nurse (RN)

➢ responsibility to represent the patient's interests, show humility, respect and
protect patient autonomy and preserve patient dignity.

Ethical Issues
Sterilization / mutilation
➢ Is the alteration of reproductive organs so that the person can no longer
procreate.
➢ ranging from removal of clitoris to removal of the entire genital organ.

Two Types of Sterilization

a. Direct - act performed with intention of destroying the ability to procreate.
b. Indirect - act not intended, but, rather, due to the effects of a medical
procedure.

Female Genital Mutilation

• Hysteroscopic Method – essure
• Incision – laparoscopy, mini laparotomy, laparotomy
• High Risk Method – hysterectomy

Essure – metal coil that is placed into each fallopian tube, it induces fibrosis and
blockage. Also, an alternative to tubal ligation.

TAH-BSO – Total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo - oophorectomy.

3. Principle of Integrity
➢ Individual’s duty to preserve a view of the human person in which order /
function of the body and systems are respected.
➢ Example: if one kidney were missing from a person’s body = lack of
anatomical integrity, but if one healthy kidney were present and working =
functional integrity as it is more than able to provide systematic efficiency.

Anatomical – material or physical integrity of body.

Functional – systematic efficiency or functionality of the body.

Organ preservation
➢ Most are performed as therapeutic option of choice.
➢ Profoundly alters the homeostasis of the interior milieu of the organ.
Organ donation
➢ Removal of an organ from one person and surgically placing it in another
person.
➢ Two types: Living donation and Decease donation.

Consider how to define death

Death - needs to be determined before organs can be harvested, according to the
dead donor rule, and the Uniform Determination of Death Act gives guidance to the
definition of death.

Nurses
➢ Consider respect for life and bodily integrity in light of the procedure for
recovering organs.
➢ Primarily grounded in beneficence (doing good) and nonmaleficence (not
doing harm).

Dead donor rule – the legal and ethical standard that requires patients to be
declared dead before the removal of life-sustaining organs for transplantation.

Two main categories of the definition of death

a. Cessation of brain function
b. Absence of respiration and pulse.

Brain death – irreversible cessation of all functions of the brain, including the
brainstem.

3 cardinal findings in brain death

1. Coma or unresponsiveness
2. Absence of brainstem reflexes
3. Apnea

4. Principle of Ordinary and Extraordinary Means

Ordinary care
➢ A person is morally obligated to use morally ordinary means to care for his life.
➢ Principle: all medicines, treatments, procedures, and technology that offer a
reasonable hope of benefit and which can be obtained without excessive
pain, expensive or burden.

Extraordinary care
➢ A person is free to use morally extraordinary means, but not obligated to do
so.
➢ Principle: all medicines, treatments, procedures, and technology that do not
offer a reasonable hope of benefit or cannot be obtained or used without
excessive pain, expense, or burden.
Ordinary Means
➢ Reasonable hope of benefit/success; not overly burdensome; does not
present an excessive risk and are financially manageable.
➢ Proportionate to the state of the patient.
➢ “Ethically indicated”
➢ Full, complete, required.

Extraordinary Means
➢ No reasonable hope of benefit/success; overly burdensome; excessive risk
and are not financially manageable.
➢ No obligation to use it/morally optional.
➢ Supplementary, additional, above and beyond what is required.

5. Principles of Personalized Sexuality

➢ Sexual acts have “unitive” and “proactive” dimensions.
➢ Reserved for marriage, they unite as a couple.
➢ Each act is to be open to the transmission of new life.

Personalized sexuality
➢ understanding of sexuality as one of the basic traits of a person.

Sexuality – not only a private matter, although it involves the most intimate of
relationships.

Few common labels use to identify their sexuality

1. Straight – people of the opposite sex or gender
2. Gay – people of the same sex or gender (used by guys, often girls too)
3. Lesbian – people of the same sex or gender (used by women)
4. Bisexual – attached to both men and women
5. Asexual – not sexually attracted to anyone

Lecture 03: Bioethics and It’s Application in Various Health Care Situations

A. Sexuality and Human Reproduction

Sexuality
➢ Sexual feelings, thoughts, attractions, and behaviors towards other people.
➢ diverse and personal, and it is an important part of who you are.

Heterosexual – are attracted to the opposite sex.

Homosexual – are attracted to the same sex.

Bisexual – are attracted to both men and women.

Human reproduction - any form of sexual reproduction resulting in human fertilization.

It typically involves sexual intercourse between a man and a woman.
The female reproductive system has two functions: to produce egg cells, and to
protect and nourish the fetus until birth.

The male reproductive system has one function: to produce and deposit sperm.

B. Marriage
➢ Fundamentals of marriage
➢ Issues on sex outside marriage and homosexuality
➢ Issues on contraception, its morality, and ethico-moral responsibility of nurse

C. Issues on artificial Reproduction, its morality and Ethico-moral responsibility of

nurses
➢ Artily Insemination
➢ In-vitro fertilization
➢ Surrogate Motherhood

D. Morality of abortion, rape, and other problems Related to destruction of life

E. Dignity in Death and Dying

➢ Euthanasia and Prolongation of life
➢ Inviolability of Human Life
➢ Euthanasia and Suicide
➢ Dysthanasia
➢ Orthothanasia

F. Administration of Drugs to the Dying

G. Advance Directives

H. DNR or End of Life Care Plan

Lecture 03: Core Values of Nursing

Vision 2030 – Philippine Professional Nursing Care: the best for the filipino and the
choice of the world by 2030

Mission – We, the filipino nurses, responding to the needs of society, are engaged in
providing humane and globally competent nursing care.

Core Values – Love of God, Caring, Integrity, Excellence, Nationalism, Quality, and
Collaboration
The Core Values Every Nursing School Should Have
Empathy and Caring - nursing school should teach its students the true value of
empathy and compassionate care.
➢ Communication
➢ Teaching
➢ Critical Thinking
➢ Psychomotor Skills
➢ Applied Therapeutics
➢ Ethical and Legal Considerations
➢ Professionalism

Caring as the Core of Nursing Practice

Florence Nightingale (1860) – nurses having a charge of the personal health of
somebody and is to put the patient in the best condition for nature to act upon him.

Caring - a feeling and exhibiting concern and empathy for others; showing or having
compassion

5 C’s of Caring
1. Commitment -going above and beyond expected behavior, career
commitment.
2. Conscience – sense of moral responsibility.
3. Competence – high standard of excellence.
4. Compassion – empathizing with patients.
5. Confidence – ties the other 4 of the 5 C’s together.

Caring is an essential nursing characteristic (Rhodes, Morris, Lazenby, 2011)

Lecture 04: Duties and Responsibilities of Various Nursing Personnels

Transition - change from one position to another.

Job description – statement of basic purpose of the job.

Roles of the nurse

➢ Coordinator ➢ Motivator
➢ Communicator ➢ Delegator
➢ Teacher ➢ Critical thinker
➢ Counselor ➢ Innovator
➢ Manager ➢ Researcher
➢ Leader ➢ Advocate
➢ Team player
Classification of the nursing personnel – largest number of health care professionals.

Nurses in clinical setting

 ➢ Topmost: Nursing directors
➢ Synonymous: giving general supervision, coordination, collaboration (Nursing
superintendent, principal matron, matron in chief)

Nursing director - formation of the aims and the objectives policies of the new nursing
services.

Chief Nursing Officer - planning, coordination, supervision, controlling, reporting to

higher medical officer & delegating the work schedules to other nurses.

Head nurse - plan the duty roster specific to the ward, implement PCS & allocate the
ward in charge to specific wards.

Ward incharge - Plan control & supervise the activity of the subordinates & also
ensure that the staff are allocated at required areas & provide good care to the
patients.

Senior staff nurse - nurses work under the ward incharge. They have to report to the
duty in time and sign in the register.

Graduate nurse / staff nurse - directly provides patient care.

Nurses working in the community areas

➢ Health workers
➢ Community health nurse

Various community health nurse levels, generally they can be classified as :

➢ DPHNO - District Public Health Nursing Officer
➢ BPHN - Block Public Health Nurse
➢ PHN - Public Health Nurse/ Lady Health Visitor
➢ ANM - Axillary Nurse Midwife / Female Health Workers
(Cares for the pre-natal and post-natal mothers at home.)

Community health nurse – with basic education in community health nursing.

Nursing Personnel in Nursing Education

a. Director of nursing education - head of nursing services under the directorate
of health and family welfare and Director of Medical Education
Educational Qualifications:
• General: As prescribed for staff nurse
• Professional: M.Sc. or equivalent degree from any INC recognized
institute
• Registration: registered with state nursing council.
• Experience: at least 10 years of experience among which 5 years
should be in administration and education.
 b. Principal/Dean, College of Nursing - Administrative head, implementation
and revision of various curricular activities and research activities in the
College of Nursing.
• General: As prescribed for staff nurse
• Professional: M.Sc. Nursing or equivalent degree, PHD in nursing or
other equivalent doctoral degree.
• Registration: Registered to any state nursing council.
• Experience: not less than 5 years teaching experience in a
• college of nursing.
c. Professor in College of Nursing - Identifies the needs of the learners in terms of
the program by utilizing the records of previous experience, personal
interviews tests and observation.
Educational Qualification:
• General: as prescribed or staff nurse
• Professional: M.Sc. Nursing or equivalent degree in nursing as
recognized by the INC. PhD in Nursing with any specialty or other
equivalent doctoral degree in nursing.
• Registration: Registered with the state nursing council or INC.
• Experience: should have not less than 5-year experience in college of
nursing
d. Nursing tutors/ Clinical Instructors - Planning of the teaching curriculum.
Educational qualification:
• General: as prescribed for staff nurse
• Professional: B.Sc. Nursing (postgraduate)or M.Sc. Nursing or
equivalent.
• Registration: registered with the state nursing council
• Experience: as experienced as staff nurse.
• Standard norms: As per INC guidelines
e. Nurse Managers - Development of the philosophy of nursing, statement of the
purposes of the nursing services and description of the nursing functions.

Roles of Nurse manager

1) Interpersonal role
➢ As a figurehead: Deals largely with economic and symbolic activities.
Conducts tours for visiting dignitaries and attends grand opening
ceremonies.
➢ As a leader: involved in those leadership and motivational activities
that are essential for the management of the people.
➢ As a liaison: includes the activities by which the administrator develops
and maintains a network of contacts outside the organization, specific
activities include the membership of the professional organization and
mail correspondence.
 2) Informational role
➢ This deals with searching for and collecting information that is of value
to the organization. The nurse manager uses his/her role to identify the
information from within and outside the organization.
➢ Disseminating: this role entails the transmission of relevant information
for those in the workplace that have the need to know.
3) Decisional role
➢ Entrepreneur: this is the process by which the nurse manager seeks to
identify the opportunities to promote improvement and needed
change. Here the nurse administrator is also involved in the
development and the implementation of the change strategy.
➢ Disturbance handler: takes corrective action needed to resolve the
unexpected disturbances. In this role the nurse manager must handle
the utility services and disaster conditions and strikes.
➢ Resource allocator: this role entails the allocation of the scarce
resources; specific activities might include developing and monitoring
the budgets, redacting the future resource needs and forecasting
future resource problems.
4) Negotiating role
➢ This requires the nurse manager to negotiate the resolutions to
important disputes, both inside and outside the organization.

Lecture 05: Team Based Approach

Team-based care
➢ is one of the guiding principles of a learning health system.
➢ It stresses interdependence, efficient care coordination, and a culture that
encourages parity among all team members (IOM, 2001, 2007).

Teamwork – reinforced at all levels, from leadership to the unit level, and individual
patients should understand that they are working with a team.

Health care – an increasingly diverse field where many specialties interact to provide
patient care.

Collaborative work – understand and respect the credentials, scope of practice and
function of each member of the health care team.

Nurses’ role in health care system – advocate and care for individuals of all ethnic
origins and religious backgrounds and support them through health and illness.

Multidisciplinary team
➢ A group of health care workers who are members of different disciplines each
providing specific services to the patient.
 ➢ This co-ordinate their services and gets the team working together towards a
specific set of goals.

Members of the Health care Team

1. Members of the Health care Team - is a professional who practices medicine,
which is concerned with promoting, maintaining, or restoring health through
the study, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of disease, injury, and other
physical and mental impairments.
2. Nurse Practitioner - are trained to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions,
and can order and interpret diagnostic tests and procedures, perform health
screenings, give immunizations, and may prescribe most medications.
3. Registered Midwife - Most certified midwives work in group practices with
physicians and deliver babies in birthing centers or hospitals.
4. Registered Dietitian - helps design food plans and educate and counsel
patients to help them manage disease states such as obesity, high
cholesterol, or heart disease.
5. Registered Pharmacist - are medication experts, working with physicians (or
PAs) to ensure new prescriptions do not interact with a patient’s current
medications, that the right dosage for a particular medication has been
prescribed, and to answer any questions patients may have.
6. Occupational Therapist - Therapists work with individuals of all demographics
to regain, master, or develop the everyday skills that enable them to lead
fulfilling, independent lives. OT’s possess a graduate level degree in
occupational therapy.
7. Physical Therapist - works to treat individuals whose medical problems or other
health-related conditions impair their ability to move and perform activities of
daily living.

Lecture 06: Ethico- Moral Obligation of Nurses In EBP and Research

Ethico moral
Ethics – Is a principle that describes what is expected in terms of right and correct
wrong or incorrect in terms of behavior which embodied that the nurses must
adhere.

Ethico-Moral Obligations / Responsibilities

➢ Respects the rights of individuals/groups consistent with the patient’s bill of
rights.
➢ Accepts responsibility and accountability for own decisions and actions.
➢ Adheres to the national and international code of ethics for nurses and abides
by its provisions.
Filipino Nurse’s Role
RA 9173 (ART VI SEC 28) – a person who collaborates with another and initiates and
performs nursing services to individuals, families, and communities in any healthcare
setting.

Nurses
➢ Primarily responsible for the promotion of health and the prevention of illness
➢ Collaborate with other healthcare providers for the curative, preventive, and
rehabilitation aspects of care, restoration of health, alleviation of sufferings,
and when recovery is not possible, towards a peaceful death.

Nurses’ Roles in EBP and Research

➢ practice within a unique social world with norms, controls, rules, and
regulations.
➢ embody the art of caring and are required not to do no harm to patients.
➢ act as a social scientist, examine human conditions in relation to health and
illness.
➢ are governed by all the ethical principles encompassed within biomedical
research.
➢ ICN, ANA and Local Nursing Organizations have developed ethical codes to
control the practice of the nursing profession whether providing care or doing
EBP projects or research.
➢ needs to be qualified to conduct research regardless of their particular roles
(principal investigator, clinical research coordinator or member of an
institutional board).
➢ must understand all elements required to maintain the highest ethical
standards.
➢ understand what is morally and ethically appropriate to study and
disseminate to be able to protect the vulnerable.
➢ lies within the domain of social science which is critical for the development
of nursing knowledge.
➢ must engage in moral, ethical activities and without ethical practice
environment , the patient is unprotected, as is the nurse who must meet moral
obligations.