Ethical Dimensions in Health Care Professions

Paper Summary:

This paper explains four principles which health care practitioners must consider when faced with a dilemma. They are A) autonomy, B) beneficiency, C) non-maleficence, and 4) justice. The author defines autonomy as the independence to determine one's own direction, conditioned only by the need to respect others' individual liberties. Beneficence is the righteous philosophy of doing good, while non-maleficence adds the condition that no harm should be done. Justice, the quality which creates the most controversy, may be defined as fair, just, equitable, and unbiased decision making.

Introduction
Morality And Ethics: What are they and Why do they Matter?
All You Need to Know about Ethics Approaches and Theories
Means, Ends, Principles and Virtues
A Six-Step Process of Ethical Decision Making for You to Follow
Surviving Professional Life Ethically
Ethical Dimensions of the Professional Patient Relationship
Special Challenges: "Difficult Patients" and Patients in Suicidal Crisis
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"Case studies become much more than words on a page when health care professionals see these names as people, who hurt, are afraid, and look to you, a medical professional for comfort. The actions the medical practitioner take next will help define their moral values. As Dr. Purtilo states on page 7, "The goal of morality is to protect a high quality of life for an individual or for a community as a whole." When one enters training to become a health care professional, the next stop should be to prepare themselves to deal with three types of morality: their own, their society's, and that of society as a whole. These are pretty heavy topics for young people of 18 or 20 to ponder, but ponder them they must. If knowledge is the foundation of trust, morality must be its supporters. All medical professionals will encounter situations which should cause them to "search their souls" for the best answers. The case studies which Dr. Purtilo presents throughout this book are actually a means to play the "what if" game. "What if it were my father/husband/brother/son? What would I do?" Dr. Purtilo closes this first chapter by saying that the formation of our morality and values is an on-going process. Each case will present slightly different variables and questions, therefore each day will be a type of check-up of our values and morality."

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