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Ethical Issues in the Workplace

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Ethical Issues in the Workplace. By Dr David Lee. VUT. 2001 ... the facts relevant to the issue and to the individuals involved must ... ethical decisions ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Ethical Issues in the Workplace


1
Ethical Issues in the Workplace
  • By Dr David Lee
  • VUT
  • 2001

2
What is ethics?
  • Ethics is concerned with how correct an
    individual or group perceives an action to be,
    and why they think that action is correct
  • The basis is that we have different value systems
    resulting from our diverse social, cultural
    and/or religious upbringing

3
What is ethics?
  • Ethics involve judgements that help you to
    distinguish between what you perceive to be right
    or wrong, or what ought or ought not to be done
    in a situation

4
Codes of ethics for nurses
  • As a professional group, nurses have developed 2
    codes that are designed to guide the ethical
    practice of nurses, they are
  • 1. The Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia
  • 2. The Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in
    Australia

5
The Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia
  • It is a formal statement of the standards and
    principles of ethical behaviour that govern a
    group of people.
  • In other words, it is a set of guidelines on how
    to behave properly and appropriately as you go
    about your professional duties

6
The Code of Ethics for Nurses in Australia
  • Unlike the Code of Conduct outlines the
    responsibilities of the nurse in terms of legal
    obligation,
  • Code of Ethics identifies a set of moral
    standards that nurses are encouraged to adopt

7
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8
Codes of ethics for nurses
  • Over the last 40 years, the focus in codes of
    ethics for nurses has moved from
  • an emphasis on loyalty tot he physician
    (Internaltional Council of Nurses, 1953) to
  • developing confidence and trust in the
    relationship between nurses and the persons for
    whom they care (Australian Nursing Council, 1993)

9
The ANC Codes of ethics
  • The Australian Nursing Council (ANC) Code of
    Ethics contains 6 broad value statements.
  • The purpose of the ANC Code of Ethics is to
  • identify the basic moral commitments of the
    profession
  • provide nurses with a basis for professional and
    self reflection and a guide for ethical practice
  • indicate to the community the values which nurses
    hold

10
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value statement I
  • Nurses respect persons individual needs, values
    and culture in the provision of nursing care

11
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • this statement means that nursing care is to be
    given to any person in the same competent and
    respectful manner, no matter what their gender,
    race, ability, age, values, beliefs or social or
    health status

12
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Each person must be recognized as part of his/her
    own family, social and community unit. Therefore,
    you must realize and accept that he/she may want
    others apart from the health carers involved in
    his/her care or rehabilitation

13
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Each person should be provided with as much
    comfort, dignity, privacy and pain- and
    anxiety-relief as possible

14
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value Statement II
  • Nurses respect the rights of persons to make
    informed choices in relation to their care

15
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • This value statement recognizes the right of
    patients, or their nominated representatives, to
    make informed decisions about the health care
    provided

16
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • A scenario
  • A mother with a child who has contracted a
    notifiable, highly contagious eye infection
    refuses to have the child treated.

17
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value statement III
  • Nurses promote and uphold the provision of
    quality nursing care for all people

18
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Provision of quality nursing care there is a
    expectation that you will keep yourself up to
    date with practice through continuing education
    by taking advantage of formal and informal
    opportunities for education

19
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value Statement IV
  • Nurses hold in confidence any information
    obtained in a professional capacity, and use
    professional judgement in sharing such information

20
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • As a nurse, your responsibility is to respect the
    person's fight to say who will be provided with
    him or her personal information, and in what
    detail. The only exceptions will be in cases
    where the life of that person or others is in
    danger, and in these situations you should always
    be guided by the advice of the senior staff
    member on duty at the time.

21
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • It is because of the intent of this value
    statement, that the consent of the
    patient/resident is always obtained before he/she
    is used as the subject of teaching or research.

22
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • In order to maintain this privacy, any
    communication that you and others have about the
    patient will be held in an appropriate place on
    the ward or in the care environment usually in a
    private office. It is not appropriate to discuss
    patients where others will hear.

23
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Further, all patient records are kept in a safe
    and secure place to ensure that the patient /
    resident's confidentiality is maintained.

24
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • What do you do with this?
  • You are in a social environment with members of
    staff from the hospital where you work. You
    overhear another nurse who is senior to you
    discussing one of your current patients,
    describing his medical details and treatment. The
    audience have nothing to do with the patient or
    the health facility and seem to be enjoying the
    story

25
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value statement V
  • Nurses respect the accountability and
    responsibility inherent in their roles

26
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • This statement is acknowledging that you may have
    different values and beliefs to those held by
    your collegues. There is no problem with this,
    but you should remember that they are just as
    entitled to hold their beliefs as you are.
  • The most important thing to remember is that the
    team must work to present a professional and
    caring attitude

27
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • You do have a moral obligation to provide nursing
    care to your patients, but you also have the
    moral right to refuse to participate in
    procedures which would violate your reasonable
    moral conscience
  • e.g. abortion

28
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Scenario
  • you have been unemployed for 6 months and longing
    for a steady / permanent employment. You are
    offered a position in a nursing home . The
    nursing home has had a high turnover of staff and
    one of your friends who has recently left ahs
    told you that the staff there are expected to use
    physical restraints on the patients to keep them
    from wandering

29
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • Value Statement VI
  • Nurses value the promotion of an ecological,
    social and economic environment which supports
    and sustains health and well being

30
The ANC Codes of ethics -the 6 value statements
  • This means that you will be always on the look
    out for practices that have the potential to harm
    patients/residents or staff or visitors.
  • You will also be careful of the use of resources
    such as disposable products that are not only
    expensive but contribute to waste in our health
    facilities, and ultimately in our community

31
Ethics in everyday practice
  • Child abuse
  • artificially prolonging life
  • voluntary euthanasia
  • not for resuscitation order
  • informed consent

32
Ethics in everyday practice
  • withholding information
  • refusal of treatment
  • Quality Vs quantity of life
  • ding with dignity
  • conflict of values and beliefs between members of
    the health team

33
Four factors in making ethical decisions
  • 1. The ethical delemma must be recognised and
    defined
  • 2. All the facts relevant to the issue and to the
    individuals involved must be obtained

34
Four factors in making ethical decisions
  • 3. The people involved in making a decision must
    understand the relevant moral rules and
    principles involved, and be able to apply them in
    an appropriate manner
  • 4. Proper evaluation must be made of possible
    solutions to the problem and of the strategies to
    be implemented

35
The case of the heavy smoker
  • A 65 year old lady, who is a' heavy smoker, has
    been admitted to the medical ward of the local
    hospital have revealed that the lady has advanced
    Cancer of the lungs, and her relatives have been
    advised that she is likely to only have a few
    months to live. The relatives have asked the
    staff not to tell their mother of he as they
    would like her to spend her remaining time as
    happily as possible. when you are showering the
    lady the next morning she says to you that she
    knows that something is wrong, and wants to be
    told the truth

36
The case of the heavy smoker
  • Using the 4 factors in making ethical decisions,
  • define the dilemma
  • examine the facts
  • identify the relevant moral principles involved
  • evaluate possible solutions
  • write down the results of this process, then
    decide what you would do
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