Utilitarianism In Nursing

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Nurses have a code of ethics which should be followed when nurses deal with day-to-day scenarios. The code of ethics is a guide of professional and moral behaviors which are expected to be understood, and it will assist nurses when they are faced making difficult decisions. Ethical behavior is not only what the nurse sees as fit for the situation, it is the right path to choose in a situation. Among the different approaches in ethics, here are two ways of thinking when determining the most ethical way of behaving. There is the utilitarian way and the Kantian belief. Following the utilitarian way of thinking, people should do what will benefit the greater population. Unlike the utilitarian belief, the Kantians consider that people should be driven by a sense of duty, and that people should do what they feel needs to be done. Nurses can use either of these two views when they are trying to come to an ethical decision.
There was a case where a girl was killed in a motor vehicle accident, where the driver of the car was driving while intoxicated. Both the driver and the girl’s boyfriend were taken to the hospital to treat their injuries. The boyfriend was angry at the driver for being responsible for his girlfriend’s death and he confided in the nurse that he wants to kill the …show more content…
After reading and understanding these provisions, the nurse will have what to base her decisions on, because she will understand what is expected of her. Provision 3 of the Code of Ethics states that, “The nurse promotes, advocates, and strives to protect the health, safety and rights of the patient.” Since the nurse has an obligation to protect the safety of the patient, the nurse in the above scenario might feel that she has to disclose the information to the driver which was told to her by the boy. This is because to a nurse, every life is precious and must be saved and
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