Synopses & Reviews
Starting with detailed cases based on real life, the fourth edition of Ethics in Nursing introduces the principles, concepts, and reasoning needed to think them through. Changes in this edition reflect important developments in nursing, ethical theory, and nursing ethics. Among the expanded set of 64 cases, 22 have been significantly revised and 15 are entirely new. Reasoning skills and philosophical understanding are explained and illustrated in cases involving: nurses and clients; inter-professional relationships; personal responsibility for institutional and public policy; and cost containment, justice, and rationing. New material on ethical theory includes an illustrated explanation and defense of moral pluralism, a section on the ethics of care, and an expanded discussion of reflective equilibrium as a method of ethical reasoning. New topics include pandemics and care for SARS patients, elderly patients contemplating suicide, and workplace violence. As with previous editions, both the nursing and philosophical content are self-contained, making the book accessible to readers with little or no background in either. Ethics in Nursing provides practicing and student nurses with a useful introduction to the identification and analysis of ethical issues that reflects both the special perspective of nursing and the value of systematic philosophical inquiry.
Review
"This is a comprehensive and practical ethics guide for nurses based on a clearly explained philosophical foundation. The revisions, additionas, increased emphasis on moral pluralism, and 15 entirely new cases fully justify this fourth edition."--
Doody'sReview
"This is a comprehensive and practical ethics guide for nurses based on a clearly explained philosophical foundation. The revisions, additionas, increased emphasis on moral pluralism, and 15 entirely new cases fully justify this fourth edition."--Doody's
"The reputation of this book has always rested on the clear and easily understandable arguments made in the text. It is quickly evident that this is still the case in this latest edition.... I heartily recommend this book to nursing students in the first instance, and also to any nurse who wants to deepen a basic understanding of ethics." --Nursing Ethics
"Ethics in Nursing is well organized, with chapters containing enough case studies and discussion to engage the reader. Readers are stimulated to think about their own personal ethical challenges, reexamine old ways of thinking, and formulate new perspectives of practice. Overall, this book is an excellent review of ethical dilemmas encountered across the continuum of care by nurses at all levels of practice and fulfills its purpose. The authors are well-respected scholars in their fields, and the information presented is accurate, timely, and current. This book is ideal for use as required reading in any course that addresses care across the age continuum, disease-specific disorders, the role of the nurse, or issues facing nursing, including leadership and delegation." --JAMA
"Overall, this book is an excellent review of ethical dilemmas encountered across the continuum of care by nurses at all levels of practice and fulfills its purpose. The authors are well-respected scholars in their fields, and the information presented is accurate, timely, and current. This book is ideal for use as required reading in any course that addresses care across the age continuum, disease-specific disorders, the role of the nurse, or issues facing nursing, including leadership and delegation." --JAMA
About the Author
Martin Benjamin is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University
Joy Curtis is Emerita Professor of Nursing and Emerita University Ombudsman, Michigan State University
Table of Contents
Cases
1. MORAL DILEMMAS AND ETHICAL INQUIRY
1. Moral dilemmas in nursing
2. Ethical codes: uses and limitations
3. The fundamental question of morality
4. Ethical inquiry
5. Ethical autonomy and institutional-hierarchical constraints
2. UNAVOIDABLE TOPICS IN ETHICAL THEORY
1. Introduction
2. Basic ethical principles
3. Comprehensive ethical theories
4. Moral pluralism
5. A comprehensive ethics of care?
6. Ethical Reasoning
7. Ethics, law, and religion
3. NURSES AND CLIENTS
1. Introduction
2. Parentalism
3. Deception
4. Confidentiality
5. Personal risks and professional obligations
6. Conflicting claims
4. RECURRING ETHICAL ISSUES IN INTERPROFESIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
1. Conflicts between nurse and other health care providers
2. Nurse autonomy
3. Collaboration
4. Integrity-preserving compromise
5. Conscientious refusal
6. Determining responsibility
5. ETHICAL DILEMMAS AMONG NURSES
1. Tensions between nurses
2. Respect for persons
3. Professional obligations
4. Administrative dilemmas
6. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INSTITUTIONAL AND PUBLIC POLICY
1. The scope of individual responsibility
2. Institutional policies and strikes
3. Institutional ethics committees
4. Blowing the whistle
5. Public policy: advance directives
6. Public Policy: workplace violence
7. Putting it all together
7. COST CONTAINMENT, JUSTICE, AND RATIONING
1. Introduction
2. Cost containment and the claims of justice
3. Access to care
4. The concept of rationing
5. The Oregon proposal
6. Toward ethical rationing
7. Rationing and the importance of nursing care
8. The expanding scope of nursing ethics
APPENDIX A
International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics for Nurses,
APPENDIX B
American Hospital Association: The Patient Care Partnership,
APPENDIX C
Cases for Analysis,
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index