Question

1. A nurse says that her conscience clearly dictates that she should not assist at aparticular operation. One of the doctors present says that he went to a Catholic medical school and he would assure her that the operation is not immoral.Should the nurse follow her conscience or the advice of the doctor?

2. “Most moralists/ ethicists do not understand medical terminology and medical problems,” is the remark of health-care provider. “As long as I am not certain that anything I do is morally wrong, then I go ahead and do it.” Is the health- care professional acting correctly?

3. Statement: “All men do not agree on the so-called principles of natural law. This proves that they are not universal principles.” What is your reaction about this statement?

Answer 1

1. All the nurses and other health care professionals who provide care to the patients in various clinical field has to follow some ethicoligal rules and codes of that particular institution strictly. Here in the above case the nurse sayes that her concise clearly dictate if she should not assist that particular operation. So here she is not fully confident about here knowledge and skills at that particular procedure. Though the doctor assure here about the low mortality rate of that operation but he does not provide any written document to her. So, the nurse should not go for assist the operation to the doctor and she should handover that procedure to another OT nurses.

2. Most moralities and ethical statements are based on the medical terminology and medical problems. In a health care setting all the health care professionals should strictly follow some ethicoligal considerations and rules and regulations of that institutions. So, what the health care professionals says is wrong.