Ethics in Nursing

Martin Benjamin is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University Joy Curtis is Emerita Professor of Nursing and Emerita University Ombudsman, Michigan State University

Cases 1. MORAL DILEMMAS AND ETHICAL INQUIRY 1. Moral dilemmas in nursing 2. Ethical codes: uses and limitations 3. The fundamental question of morality 4. Ethical inquiry 5. Ethical autonomy and institutional-hierarchical constraints2. UNAVOIDABLE TOPICS IN ETHICAL THEORY 1. Introduction 2. Basic ethical principles 3. Comprehensive ethical theories 4. Moral pluralism 5. A comprehensive ethics of care? 6. Ethical Reasoning7. Ethics, law, and religion3. NURSES AND CLIENTS 1. Introduction 2. Parentalism 3. Deception 4. Confidentiality 5. Personal risks and professional obligations 6. Conflicting claims4. RECURRING ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTERPROFESIONAL RELATIONSHIPS 1. Conflicts between nurse and other health care providers 2. Nurse autonomy 3. Collaboration 4. Integrity-preserving compromise 5. Conscientious refusal 6. Determining responsibility5. ETHICAL DILEMMAS AMONG NURSES 1. Tensions between nurses 2. Respect for persons 3. Professional obligations 4. Administrative dilemmas6. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC POLICY 1. The scope of individual responsibility 2. Institutional policies and strikes 3. Institutional ethics committees 4. Blowing the whistle 5. Public policy: advance directives 6. Public Policy: workplace violence 7. Putting it all together7. COST CONTAINMENT, JUSTICE, AND RATIONING 1. Introduction 2. Cost containment and the claims of justice 3. Access to care 4. The concept of rationing 5. The Oregon proposal 6. Toward ethical rationing 7. Rationing and the importance of nursing care 8. The expanding scope of nursing ethicsAPPENDIX AInternational Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses, APPENDIX BAmerican Hospital Association: The Patient Care Partnership,APPENDIX CCases for Analysis, Suggestions for Further ReadingIndex