Ethico-Legal Concepts in Critical Care Nursing

pWEEK Two - ETHICO-LEGAL CONCEPTS IN CRITICAL CARE NURSING

One. ETHICS VERSUS MORALS

Ethics

. Study of morality or standards of conduct.

Involves critical reflection or evaluation of moral choices that are made.

Morals

. Commonly shared beliefs within a society about the "rightness" or "wrongness" of actions and behaviors.

. Includes "should" and "should nots."

. Usually learned through:

o Family systems

Religious traditions

Ethical Principles

. Serve as general guidelines in healthcare decision-making.

· Provide a basis for ethical reasoning.

. They are not absolute and may sometimes conflict with one another.