Download Ethical Boundaries

Ethical Boundaries
and Practices
Ethical issues and their implications
in healthcare.
Key Terms:
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Ethics
8 guiding principles
Code of conduct
Scope of practice
Incident reports
What is ethics?
• Principles of __________________ and
_________________.
• Who should practice ethical behavior?
• Is there such a thing as ethical behavior
among friends?
• When was the importance of ethics in
health care first recognized?
Hippocrates
• What do you know about Hippocrates?
– Greek
– Physician
– Lived 2500 years ago
– Wrote Hippocratic Oath, which is still
taken by physicians today.
Codes of Ethics
• Professional associations write __________
______________________________________
• Purpose:
Set_____________________________
_______________________________that
promote the welfare of patients and assure
_____________ quality care.
• Is there a professional code of ethics for
your future health profession?
Ethics and the Law
• Laws are based on ethical principles.
• Most laws enforce ethical standards.
• Sometimes laws are in conflict with a
person’s ethical principles.
• Healthcare workers should act in the
______________interest of patients and
support legal standards for patient
care.
Ethics and the Law
• As a future healthcare professional, do
you think you will ever be put in a
position where your personal ethics are
in conflict with the requirements of your
profession? What will you do?
• As a healthcare professional, will you be
able to disengage your emotions when
dealing with ethical conflicts?
Guiding Principles
• _________________________________
principles for healthcare workers and
the corresponding laws that were
created to support them.
Guiding Principles
1) Preserve ____
2) Do ________
3) Respect
____________
4) Uphold
____________
5) Be _________
6) Be _________
7) Keep
____________
8) Do _______
harm
Healthcare Ethics: Euthanasia
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Results in ___________to alleviate
suffering or when there is no hope
for recovery.
Many healthcare professionals feel
euthanasia is contrary to their
professional ethics.
Regardless of their beliefs,
healthcare workers should follow
________________________laws.
Healthcare Ethics: Organ Transplants
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Organ donations come at a time
of crisis when somebody dies.
Healthcare workers should ask
about donation.
Illegal to transplant organs
without patient or family
permission.
Healthcare Ethics: Conception
• IVF – In vitro fertilization
• Egg and sperm donation
• Surrogates
• Fertility drugs
• What are the ethical
considerations?
Should there be limits to IVF?
• Should obese people be
allowed to have IVF?
• Should a couple be
approved for IVF if they
both smoke?
• Should a single person
who is unemployed be a
candidate for IVF?
Codes of Conduct
• Ethical responsibilities include respecting the
cultural, social and ethnic differences of
patients and other healthcare workers.
• “____________ of ___________________” helps
define the code of conduct for healthcare
workers.
• Performing skills outside the scope of practice
is _______________ and __________________.
• Ethical codes of conduct are based on moral
standards and society’s expectations.
Ethical Dilemmas
• Advances in health care have created ethical
dilemmas for healthcare providers.
• There are no easy answers when addressing
ethical dilemmas.
• The question is –
what is the responsibility
of healthcare providers
when addressing ethical
dilemmas?
Ethical Dilemmas
• Should family members be allowed to
discontinue life support?
• Do parents have a religious right to refuse
life-saving blood transfusions for their child?
• Should people be allowed to sell organs for
use in transplant?
• Should human beings be cloned?
• What should be done with fertilized frozen
embryos when the parents no longer want
them?
Ethics Committee
• Most hospitals have ethics committees that
examine ethical issues related to patient
care.
• They can advise patients, families and
healthcare providers.
• A hospital ethics committee might decide
the best action to take for a terminally ill
patient on a respirator.
• An ethics committee might also be asked to
pass judgment on the actions of a
healthcare provider.
Incident Reports/
Electronic Occurrence Reports
• To ensure _________________ reporting and
documentation of all incidents resulting in
__________________ or having potential
__________________ affects to patients,
employees, or visitors.
• To accurately ____________________threats or
actions of violence and environmental
emergencies.
• To accurately ____________________ incidents of
property damage.
Incident Reports
• Follow your agency’s policies in filling out
and submitting incident reports.
• Focus on the ______________________.
• The purpose of the incident report is for legal
record keeping – NOT punishment.
• Can you think of examples of when an
incident report might be completed?
Electronic Incident Reports
Professional Practice
1. Use the approved methods when
performing procedures.
2. Obtain proper authorization before
performing any procedure.
3. Identify the patient.
4. Observe all safety precautions.
Professional Practice
5. Think before you speak and carefully
consider everything you say.
6. Accept no tips or personal gifts.
7. Immediately tell your supervisor if you
make a mistake.
8. Act professionally in everything you say
and do.