Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ethical Decision Making
Ethical Decision Making
Moral Principles
Ethical Theories
Moral Philosophy
Moral Philosophy
Teleological: the end justifies the means
Procedural
Rules and Codes
Fidelity: being faithful to one’s clients,
employer and colleagues
Confidentiality (privacy): keeping non-
relevant information private
Veracity: telling the truth; not lying
APTA Code of Ethics
FIU Student Code of Standards
The Nature of Ethical Principles*
Fundamentalism: Multiculturalism:
the philosophical the anthropological
stance that ethical stance that ethical
principles are principles are
universal “culturally-bound”
*Nie J-B. The plurality of Chinese and American medical moralities: Toward
an interpretive cross-cultural bioethics. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal.
2000;10(3):239-260.
Contrasting Norms, Cultural
Beliefs and Values*
Self-reliance and The individual as part
individualism lead to of the larger whole
valuing individual values group cohesion
autonomy
Informed consent & Group decides if
advanced directives patient is told & what
to do
Porous social groups Social groups resist
outsiders
* Davis AJ. Global influence of American nursing: some ethical
issues. Nursing Ethics. 1999;6(2):118-125.
The Realm-Individual Process-
Situation (RIPS) Model of
Ethical Decision Making