Ethics Essay
2) Freegard (2006) states: “Autonomy as an ethical principle encompasses the fundamental protection and respect of persons, and freedom from interference ... A competent client should have the right to decide what is to be done with his or her body” (p. 112).
Autonomy has been practiced in nursing since Bioethics and the four principles became a prominent approach. Bioethics considers the social and moral implications of new developments in medicine and medical technology (Jecker, Jonsen, & Pearlman, 2012). Autonomy is just one of four principles, however it holds great value to both nurses and patients as it underpins respect, confidentiality and consent over personal information (Freegard, 2006).
So, ethically speaking, why does it matter that patients give their consent to treatment? That their privacy is respected? And that nurses respect patient confidentiality? It is partly a matter of ‘treating others how you would like to be treated’ and partly what is required of nurses by law. By the end of this essay I intend to have shown you why all these issues ‘matter’ and how the principle of autonomy relates to, and shapes these questions. So firstly, it is vital to understand what autonomy is, and how as a nurse you demonstrate respect for patient autonomy before we divulge in to the above questions.
Autonomy ‘recognises the right of a person to have an opinion, make choices, and take actions based on personal values and beliefs’ (Freegard, 2006). It also places an obligation to others including nurses to respect this right within reason. As with all the principles, Autonomy has prima facie value which means it is not absolute when it is in conflict with another moral principle (Beauchamp, 2007) As an example, Abortion carries a large debate about the sanctity of life against the woman’s right to control her own body (autonomy) (Chater, 2010). It is important as nurses to demonstrate a respect for patient autonomy. The Code of ethics states that “nurses
Autonomy has been practiced in nursing since Bioethics and the four principles became a prominent approach. Bioethics considers the social and moral implications of new developments in medicine and medical technology (Jecker, Jonsen, & Pearlman, 2012). Autonomy is just one of four principles, however it holds great value to both nurses and patients as it underpins respect, confidentiality and consent over personal information (Freegard, 2006).
So, ethically speaking, why does it matter that patients give their consent to treatment? That their privacy is respected? And that nurses respect patient confidentiality? It is partly a matter of ‘treating others how you would like to be treated’ and partly what is required of nurses by law. By the end of this essay I intend to have shown you why all these issues ‘matter’ and how the principle of autonomy relates to, and shapes these questions. So firstly, it is vital to understand what autonomy is, and how as a nurse you demonstrate respect for patient autonomy before we divulge in to the above questions.
Autonomy ‘recognises the right of a person to have an opinion, make choices, and take actions based on personal values and beliefs’ (Freegard, 2006). It also places an obligation to others including nurses to respect this right within reason. As with all the principles, Autonomy has prima facie value which means it is not absolute when it is in conflict with another moral principle (Beauchamp, 2007) As an example, Abortion carries a large debate about the sanctity of life against the woman’s right to control her own body (autonomy) (Chater, 2010). It is important as nurses to demonstrate a respect for patient autonomy. The Code of ethics states that “nurses