Nursing is undoubtedly a noble profession, but most people do not know what makes nursing so admirable. Is it the relentless sacrifice and selfless service of the nurses? Or is it something else? The Probity course provides deeper insight on the topic, which proves to be equally important if you are studying nursing or working as a one. Learning the ethical principles in nursing is a great way for people to understand the nursing profession better. We believe that you will be able to comprehend it better after this blog, so let us begin.
Following are the 6 ethical principles in nursing that are taught in Ethics courses for nurses. Understanding these principles will help you understand the profession.
The first ethical principle we cover is justice. It is important to be just while nursing, as there are a lot of people to cater to. Justice means fairness, and in nursing, being fair means treating everyone the same. It is important to refrain from any kind of national, regional, religious prejudice. Following distributive and social justice is one of the founding pillars that help sustain the nursing profession.
The word autonomy means independence or self-dependency. It is important to recognise the individuality and independence of every patient in nursing. The principle allows the patient a right of choice for their health. Meaning that a nurse cannot carry out any medical procedure on a patient without their consent.
However, there are cases when you have to compromise on their autonomy if necessary to save lives. For example, every patient has the right to freedom but you can keep them in isolation if they contract anything contagious.
Beneficence involves taking positive steps for the patient’s wellbeing. It may include something as simple as talking or counselling them. It is the obligation towards an individual or group that allows the nurse to work for their patient with compassion and care. It is further connected to the Hippocratic tradition that makes it the sacred duty of nurses to tend to their patients. Beneficence can never inflict a negative or harmful impact on the patients, which makes it a must for any nurse.
Veracity is quite a debatable principle of nursing. Veracity refers to being truthful towards the patient under any circumstances. The principle oftentimes keeps the nurses at a split. For example, if a patient has a terminal disease, nurses are still obligated to inform the patient about it. Truthfulness and confidentiality are common principles of most professions. These two values often end up against each other in situations. It is important to assess these situations subjectively and then make decisions.
For example, suppose you have a patient who is HIV positive and does not know about it. A nurse needs to inform them about it, but it needs to be done with care. It is important to keep things confidential until the patient allows the nurse to reveal the information to the concerned authorities.
Every nurse needs to research each patient separately. Researching can help them find ways and techniques to comfort each patient in the best possible way.
A nurse should know the importance of making a decision when the time calls for it. They need to accept any personal or professional impact of their decisions and deal with them accordingly. They need to take the necessary steps for providing optimal care to patients every time.
That said, ethical principles are a vital part of the Ethics course for nurses. You can find more guidance on related topics from Probity and Ethics today. Feel free to surf through their webpage for further guidance.
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