ETHICAL THOUGHTS

also called moral philospohy, is the

discipline concerned with what is
morally good and bad and morally right
and wrong.
 KANTIAN ETHICS
... The proponent of this is Immanuel Kant, a
philosoper and one of the Enlightenment
thinkers.
... Kant’s moral theory is often referred to as the
“respect for persons” theory of morality.
--> are a set of universal moral principles that
apply to all human beings, regardless of context
or situation, these are Categorical Imperatives,
which are defined by their morality and level of
freedom.
... People have a duty to do the right thing,
even if it produces a bad result .
... So for example, Kant thought that it would
be wrong to tell a lie in order to save a friend
from a murderer. So a person is doing
something good if they are doing a morally
right action.
 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
ETHICS

... Came from a noble family in Naples.

... Known as the greatest Christian medieval
theologian-philsopher.
... Studied with Albert the Great in Paris and
participated in the Aristotelian revival of the
Middle Ages.
.. Canonized and became a saint in 1323
... Aquinas believes that we should always follow
our conscience, even when it is wrong or causes
great harm. Since we have no way of knowing
whether our consciences are wrong, they are
the best guide of we have as to what is the
moral thing to do.
 3 Important Ethical Theories of
Aquinas
a) the intrinsic connection between happiness
and the human good.
b)the central role of human virtue in achieving
this good.
c) the importance of moral rules...
RAWL’S THEORY OF JUSTICE
• ... John Bordley Rawls was an American moral
and political philosopher in the liberal
tradition.
... Received the Schock prize for Logic and
Philosophy and the National Humanities Medal
in 199.
..... Rawls theory of “ justice as fairness”
recommends equal liberties, equality of
opportunity, and facilitating the maximum
benefit to the least advantaged members of
society in any case where inequalities may
occur.
 Rawl’s principles of justice:
1. Each person should have as much liberty as possible, as
long as others have the same.b)

2. Social and economic inequities are permitted, as lon as:

a) they relate to positions open to all under equality of
opportunity, and
b) they are for the greatest expecred benefit of the least
advantaged members of society.
 THE CALLING OF A HEALTH
CARE PROVIDER (HCP)
... The “calling” signifies occupation, profession,
or trade. It may imply a response of a human
person to a demand, need, or invitation to share
in talents, expertise, skjlls, and knowledge with
other in this earthly course of human enterprise
to attain quality life.
... It may further denote a vocation, which may
determine what state in life a person wants to
be. This vocation includes the calling of the hcp
to enter into a contract with society in the area
of health as their profession.
... Taking care of the sick, the aged, the disabled,
and others afflicted with infirmities is indeed, a
noble profession.
 THE HEALTH CARE PROFESSION

... A profession is a complex, organized

occupation proceded by a long training
program.
... It is a calling in which members profess to
have acquired special knowledge, by training or
by experience or both, so that they may guide,
advise, or serve others in their specialized field.
... Health care, modifying the term profession,
may refer to watchful keeping of the condition
of being well or not sick. It is a means of
promoting the patient’s well-being. This concept
of well-being marks the boundaries of the range
of options offered to a patient. It involves
his/her informed consent.
... Moreover, the well-being principle must be in
harmony with autonomy. Patient’s autonomy
necessitates freedom from intereference or
outside control.
 THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

... A health care provider may be considered as a

professional duly authorized to engage in, and
granted by applicable law monopoly over health
care services.
... Health care providers may include, but not
liited to, physicians, nurses, midwives and
medical technologists.
 THE NURSE: A MOTHER SURROGATE

... The word “nurse” is derived from the Latin verb

nutrire, which means ‘to feed, nourish, or suckle”.
... As a noun, a nurse is “one who suckles a child
not her own”.
...It implies that nursing involves caring for
children, specially young children, caring for those
who are childlike in their dependence, such as the
sick, the injured, the aged, and the handicapped.
... Likewise, it implies t with that the basic
function of a nurse is identical to with that of a
mother who, in the latter’s absence, acts as a
mother surrogate to the patient who has
serious emotional needs.
...The “mother role” of a nurse is limited to the
nurturing component of maternal role.
... The nurse can do nothing to influence or
change the curse of treatment of the patient.
THE NURSE AS A PROFESSIONAL

...A professional is one is bound by values and

standards other than those of his/her employing
organization, settingnone’s own rules, seeking to
promote standards of excellence and being
evaluated, and looking for approval from one’s
own professional peers.
... A professional nurse is one who finished and acquired
or gained a high level of specialized skills and knowledge
through long years of study in nursing academic setting.
... This expertise distinguishes him/her from non-
professionals, and equips him/her to meet the needs of
the society, thus, fulfilling the purpose of the nursing
profession.
... Moreover, aside from expertise, there are other
defining attributes related and applicable to nursing
profession, namely: autonomy, accountability,
authority, and unity.
 THE CLIENT
... A client is a person or group for whom a
doctor, lawyer, a nurse, or other professional,
person or service acts. He/she may be any
person who has a need or want, and looks for
the professional (nurse, doctor, teacher) to get
and satisfy that need.
ASSIGNMENT/ADDED READINGS

a) Patient’s Bill of Rights

b) Patiets/Duties and Responsibilities
c) Professional- Client Relationship