Jan 28, 2016 | Black and African-American Nurses, Black Nurses Rock, Blog
Does the Constitution embrace a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion? What organization ensures medical studies is ethical? Is it acceptable for a patient to reject medical treatment that improves their quality of life?
The above questions are answered by previous cases considered to be landmarks in the medical and legal community. Several court decisions changed what is considered acceptable in the medical community. Explore the below five influential historical medial ethic cases.
Roe v. Wade
The 1973 decision of Roe v. Wade is still debated heavily in politics. Before this case, most of the United States’ laws only allowed women to get abortions if the life of the mother was in danger. The Supreme Court ruled in this case that the states was forbidden from outlawing or regulating abortions performed during the first trimester of a pregnancy. Although the court ruling was about 40 years ago, this is an issue for many that believe abortion is unethical.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is an infamous clinical study conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service to study the progression of untreated syphilis in poor black men in Alabama. This experiment took place between 1932 and 1972 and tricked participants into thinking they were receiving free health care from the government. The participants were unaware they would be infected with syphilis and left untreated. After a leak to the press, the experiments stopped, the Office for Human Research Protections was established, and federal laws were put in place that required Institutional Review Boards for studies that involve human subjects.
Gonzales v. Oregon
In 1994, Oregon became the first state to legalize assisted suicide after enacting the Death with Dignity Act, which allows physicians to prescribe lethal drugs if the patient is terminally ill and within half a year of death. The Attorney General sought control of the situation under the Controlled Substances Act, but the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Oregon and said the Attorney General could not overrule state laws. Since then, California has also approved assisted suicide, and it is an ethical topic with growing importance in the medical community.
Bouvia v. Superior Court
Elizabeth Bouvia was mentally competent, yet she suffered from cerebral palsy that left her wholly dependent on others to live. In 1983, she expressed a desire to end her life through an attempt to starve herself in a California public hospital. The hospital eventually ended up inserting a nasogastric tube against her wishes. She sued the hospital. After an appeal, it was decided that the hospital should respect the patient’s wishes if they are sound of mind when they make that decision.
Sherley v. Sebelius
In 2008, The Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institute of Health was sued after President Obama took away some of the more strict guidelines and rules on stem cell research that President George Bush had put into place. It was decided in court that the NIH was following proper guidelines regarding stem cell research and the Supreme Court rejected to hear an appeal. Stem cell research is extremely controversial for many in the medical field because of the conflict of two very separate beliefs.
History doesn’t only repeat itself, but is also serves as a precedent especially when legal cases are concerned. These five historical medical ethics cases continue to impact the legal and medical field.
References
Conger, K. (2013). Supreme Court Decision on Human Embryonic Stem Cell Case Ends
Research Uncertainty. Retrieved From: http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2013/01/08/sup
reme-court-decision-on-human-embryonic-stem-cell-case-ends-research-uncertainty/.
Fisher, L. (1987). The Suicide Trap: Bouvia v. Superior Court and the Right to Refuse
Medical Treatment. Retrieved from: http://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/llr/vol21/iss1/5.
Gray, F. D.(1998). The Tuskegee Syphilis Study.Montgomery: New South Books.
Roe V. Wade: Its History and Impact. (n.d.) Retrieved from:https://www.plannedpa
renthood.org/files/3013/9611/5870/Abortion_Roe_History.pdf.
Teitelbaum, J. & Rosenbaum, S. (2007). Gonzales v. Oregon: Implications for Public
Health Policy and Practice. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl
- Author
- Recent Posts
Founder and Registered Nurse at Nicole Thomas INC
Nicole Thomas is an educator, motivator, and purposeful living enthusiast. She has 11 years of experience in leadership, healthcare management, clinical knowledge, and business acumen. Her mission is to help female healthcare professionals to awaken their God-given purpose as a healthcare professional through education and empowerment. Nicole earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Southern University A&M College and her Masters of Nursing with a specialization in Nursing Education from Walden University. She is currently working on her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and forthcoming book entitled “In Health, On Purpose: Awakeningto Your True Calling in The Healthcare Profession"
Latest posts by Nicole Thomas, RN, MSN, CCM (see all)
- Why Women in Healthcare Are An Endangered Species - September 25, 2016
- To Be or Not to Be - June 28, 2016
- GPS Navigation to Success - June 9, 2016
KIMon January 29, 2016 at 6:43 pm
Great article! This reminded me of the many advances we have made and still have to make in health care. Regardless of your opinion about these cases what it has done is set a precedence and dialog for change. Kim Jones Williams, MSN, BSN, RN, CCM
Lue Farrison August 16, 2022 at 6:06 pm
(Video) ethicsYour style is unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from. Thanks for posting when you’ve got the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this site.
Roma Michelion August 18, 2022 at 12:08 pm
Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Thank you
Isobel Malinkyon August 21, 2022 at 6:07 pm
Hey there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem fixed soon. Cheers
What are vitamins, and how do they work?on August 22, 2022 at 7:54 am
A lot of these “vitamins” actually come hidden within other foods like fruit juice concentrate (which isn’t really a vitamin at all), so it makes sense why our bodies need small quantities each day: just enough to keep things running smoothly without causing any harm.
(Video) Panel 5: Pediatrics and Family EthicsMedication Management Tips For Seniorson August 23, 2022 at 7:07 am
As people age, their bodies change and they may require different types of care. It is important for seniors to maintain good health by staying up-to-date on their vaccinations and seeing a doctor regularly.
berglundon October 8, 2022 at 7:40 pm
It’s approρriate time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be
hapρy. I һave гeaɗ this poѕt and if I could I wish
to suggest you some interesting things or tips. Maybe үou can write next articles referring to thіs article.
I wаnt to reɑԀ mοre things aboսt it!Beauty Fashionon October 19, 2022 at 11:32 am
I have seen a lot of useful elements on your web page about personal computers. However, I have got the opinion that laptop computers are still not quite powerful more than enough to be a good choice if you often do tasks that require plenty of power, such as video editing and enhancing. But for website surfing, word processing, and majority of other common computer work they are just fine, provided you do not mind the screen size. Thank you sharing your thinking.
FAQs
What are the top 5 ethical issues in healthcare? ›
- Do-Not-Resuscitate Orders. ...
- Doctor and Patient Confidentiality. ...
- Malpractice and Negligence. ...
- Access to Care. ...
- Physician-Assisted Suicide.
America's practice of abortion is not merely a matter of medical technology but of a changing ethical consciousness. The continuing dispute over legalized abortion since the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade is a conflict between two historically different ethical views of human life.
What are the 7 major Ethical issues in nursing practice? ›The ethical principles that nurses must adhere to are the principles of justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, accountability, fidelity, autonomy, and veracity.
Which nursing situation is an example of an ethical dilemma? ›Examples of Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing
One ethical dilemma that can occur in healthcare facilities is when nurses themselves are not properly equipped to complete their duties. Nurses who notice their coworker's lack of knowledge face an ethical dilemma of whether they should bring the issue to their nurse manager.
A central ethical question in the abortion debate is over the moral status of the fetus. Opinions range from the belief that the fetus is a human being with full moral status and rights from conception to the belief that a fetus has no rights, even if it is human in a biological sense.
What exactly happened in Roe v. Wade? ›The Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling on January 22, 1973, decriminalized abortion nationwide. It gave people the right to access abortion legally all across the country and freed patients to access the health care they needed when they needed it without fear.
What was the main issue in Roe v. Wade? ›In 1970, Jane Roe (a fictional name used in court documents to protect the plaintiff's identity) filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, Texas, where she resided, challenging a Texas law making abortion illegal except by a doctor's orders to save a woman's life.
What are the 8 ethical issues related to healthcare? ›The major 10 ethical issues, as perceived by the participants in order of their importance, were: (1) Patients' Rights, (2) Equity of resources, (3) Confidentiality of the patients, (4) Patient Safety, (5) Conflict of Interests, (6) Ethics of privatization, (7) Informed Consent, (8) Dealing with the opposite sex, (9) ...
What are the 9 Code of Ethics for Nurses? ›...
The following are brief descriptions of each of the ethical principles.
- Beneficence: ...
- Nonmaleficence: ...
- Justice: ...
- Accountability: ...
- Autonomy: ...
- Fidelity: ...
- Veracity:
The search yielded 10 nursing ethical values: Human dignity, privacy, justice, autonomy in decision making, precision and accuracy in caring, commitment, human relationship, sympathy, honesty, and individual and professional competency.
What are some real life examples of ethical dilemmas? ›
- Should parents monitor teens' social media activities? ...
- Reporting an accident.
- Ghosting in the workplace.
- Medical care versus religious beliefs.
- Misinterpret data deliberately?
- Share my political leanings and risk losing clients?
- Internet dilemmas.
- Advance directives.
- Surrogate decision making.
- Refusal of treatment.
- Conflicts with caregivers.
- Foregoing life-sustaining treatment.
- Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR) orders.
- Other issues perceived as ethical problems.
Patient Confidentiality
One of the biggest legal and ethical issues in healthcare is patient confidentiality which is why 15% of survey respondents noted that doctor-patient confidentiality is their top ethical issue in practicing medicine.
- HONESTY. ...
- INTEGRITY. ...
- PROMISE-KEEPING & TRUSTWORTHINESS. ...
- LOYALTY. ...
- FAIRNESS. ...
- CONCERN FOR OTHERS. ...
- RESPECT FOR OTHERS. ...
- LAW ABIDING.
- Dedication. Your strong work ethic shows in every aspect of your business and the way you behave yourself. ...
- Professionalism. When you conduct yourself in a professional way your strong work ethic shines through. ...
- Dependability. ...
- Accountability. ...
- Gratitude.
In LDRS 111 you were introduced to four different ethical dilemma paradigms: truth vs loyalty, short-term vs long-term, individual vs community, and justice vs mercy.
What are 3 legal and ethical issues that occur with end of life patient? ›These issues include patients' decision-making capacity and right to refuse treatment; withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment, including nutrition and hydration; "no code" decisions; medical futility; and assisted suicide.
What are the 3 ethical issues? ›Unethical accounting, harassment, health and safety, technology, privacy, social media, and discrimination are the five primary types of ethical issues in the workplace.
What is ethical conflict in nursing? ›Ethical conflict themes underlying the specialty areas included: differences in the definition of adequacy of care among professionals, the institution and society; differences in the philosophical orientations of nurses, physicians and other health professionals involved in patient care; a lack of respect for the ...
What are the 4 main ethical principles in nursing? ›Nurses are advocates for patients and must find a balance while delivering patient care. There are four main principles of ethics: autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence. Each patient has the right to make their own decisions based on their own beliefs and values. [4].
What kind of nurses do abortions? ›
Nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants can provide early abortion care that is clinically as safe as physicians; Outpatient abortion is very safe, whether it is provided by physicians or by nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives or physician assistants.
Why is it called Roe vs Wade? ›Roe v. Wade was named for "Jane Roe," a pseudonym of a Texas resident named Norma McCorvey, and Henry Wade — then-district attorney for Dallas County, Texas. In 1969, McCorvey was denied access to abortion because her pregnancy didn't pose a medical risk to her life.
What is Roe v. Wade in simple terms? ›Wade was a 1973 landmark decision by the US Supreme Court that ruled that a state law that banned abortion was unconstitutional. The decision said that a woman's right to privacy extended to the fetus that she was carrying.
What was the impact of the Griswold v Connecticut ruling? ›Connecticut case established — for the first time — a constitutional right to privacy regarding reproductive decisions that paved the way for the legalization of birth control for unmarried couples, and ultimately, Roe v. Wade and safe and legal abortion.
What idea was the decision in Griswold v Connecticut based upon? ›In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Court identified a constitutionally protected right to privacy, which the court reasoned prohibited states from denying birth control to married couples.
What is the Dobbs decision? ›The majority held that abortion is not a constitutional right as the Constitution does not mention it and its substantive right was not "deeply rooted" in the country's history, and that individual states have the authority to regulate access to abortion.
What are 5 medical issues relating to bioethics? ›- Physician patient relationship.
- Death and dying.
- Resource Allocation.
- Assisted reproductive techniques and their use.
- Genetic testing and screening.
- Sexuality and gender.
- Environmental ethics.
- Clinical research ethics.
- Benevolence. ...
- Nonmaleficence. ...
- Fidelity. ...
- Accountability. ...
- Veracity. ...
- Patient autonomy.
- Be an ethical leader.
- Use moral courage.
- Consider personal and professional reputation.
- Set the right tone at the top.
- Maintain an enquiring mindset.
- Consider the public interest.
- Consider 'the right, the good and the virtuous' actions"
One of the recommendations to reduce medication errors and harm is to use the “five rights”: the right patient, the right drug, the right dose, the right route, and the right time.
What is ethics in nursing with examples? ›
Nurses have an obligation not to inflict harm and not to allow others to inflict harm. They must also promote good actions on behalf of their patients. Examples of nonmaleficence are always being truthful to patients and never allowing one patient to be harmed for the benefit of another.
What are the 7 standards of nursing? ›- American Nurses Association (ANA)
- ANA Standards of Practice.
- Standard 1. Assessment. ...
- Standard 2. Diagnosis. ...
- Standard 3. Outcome Identification. ...
- Standard 4. Planning. ...
- Standard 5. Implementation. ...
- Standard 6. Evaluation.
Primarily, the lack of full protection of nurses across the health industry has raised ethical questions such as the extent of their duty, scarce resources, and the failure of personal protective equipment.
What are ethical dilemmas give at least 3 examples and briefly discuss them? ›Some examples of ethical dilemma include: Taking credit for others' work. Offering a client a worse product for your own profit. Utilizing inside knowledge for your own profit.
What are the 5 steps in resolving ethical dilemma? ›- Recognize the ethical dilemma.
- Identify points of view.
- Gather resources and assistance.
- Have a plan.
- Take action based on ethical standards.
The ethical principles that nurses must adhere to are the principles of justice, beneficence, nonmaleficence, accountability, fidelity, autonomy, and veracity.
What is an example of medical ethics? ›Ethical decision-making in healthcare.
For example, a patient may refuse care due to cultural/religious views, or may want an unnecessary treatment which may not be in his or her best interests; euthanasia is another example of a provider's sense of morals conflicting with his or her ethical obligations.
Examples of Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing
One ethical dilemma that can occur in healthcare facilities is when nurses themselves are not properly equipped to complete their duties. Nurses who notice their coworker's lack of knowledge face an ethical dilemma of whether they should bring the issue to their nurse manager.
Patient Privacy and Confidentiality
The protection of private patient information is one of the most important ethical and legal issues in the field of healthcare. Conversations between a physician and a patient are strictly confidential, as is information about an individual's medical condition.
- Informed Consent.
- Protecting Patient Privacy and Confidentiality.
- Shared Patient Decision-Making.
- Addressing Advanced Care Planning.
- Inadequate resources and staffing.
What is an example of an ethical dilemma in healthcare? ›
One of the most common scenarios when the empirical knowledge vs. religious belief ethical dilemma arises is when nurses are treating patients that are Jehovah's Witnesses. Their religious beliefs do not permit such patients to accept a blood transfusion.
What are the 4 medical ethics? ›Four Pillars of Medical Ethics
Beneficence (doing good) Non-maleficence (to do no harm) Autonomy (giving the patient the freedom to choose freely, where they are able) Justice (ensuring fairness)
The three major types of ethics are deontological, teleological and virtue-based.
What are the 4 ethical theories in health care? ›Principlism is a commonly used ethical approach in healthcare and biomedical sciences. It emphasises four key ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, which are shared by most ethical theories, and blends these with virtues and practical wisdom.
What are some examples of ethical decision making in healthcare? ›An example is patient triage: when a nurse must decide which of several needy patients requires immediate attention. That decision may depend on where the nurse can do the most good, or where the need is greatest, depending on the nurse's determination of the most just course of action.
What are some controversial issues in nursing? ›- Giving Artificial Hydration and Nutrition. ...
- Providing Futile Care or Agressive Interventions. ...
- The Opioid Crisis. ...
- Dealing with Noncompliant Patients. ...
- Anti-Vaccine Dilemmas.
- “Contribute to society and to human well-being, acknowledging that all people are stakeholders in computing.
- Avoid harm.
- Be honest and trustworthy.
- Be fair and take action not to discriminate.
- Honor confidentiality.
- Perform work only in areas of competence”