Ethical Nursing

Ethical Behaviors in Nursing

Nursing is not only a healthcare profession where you care for others. It has many other definitions such as being a patient teacher, a patient advocate, a protector, a risk taker, or even just a shoulder to cry on in times of worry or sadness (Zerwekh and Garneau, 2009, pg. 127). Morals, ethics and values play a very important role in the profession of nursing (Zerwekh, Garneau, and Melenovich, 2009). In order to fully achieve quality care for a patient and succeed in the profession of nursing, a nurse must be aware of the way the patient lives their life, understanding their beliefs or practices, and respecting their decisions without any judgment.

“Ethics refers to principles of right and wrong behaviors, beliefs, and values” (Zerwekh, Garneau, and Melenovich, 2009, pg. 392). The author states that ethics shape the way people function through their daily lives, setting the things that are right away from the things that are wrong. An example from the author’s value system would be going out to eat and seeing a friend’s boyfriend with another girl holding hands. This would challenge the author a bit, especially if the author was a friend of the guy and the girl. Showing respect and loyalty for the friend, and understanding the author’s own personal beliefs, the right thing to do would be to tell her what was seen. Values are, “Beliefs that are considered very important and frequently influence a person’s behavior”, (Zerwekh, Garneau, and Melenovich, 2009, pg. 392). During the author’s sophomore year in college, the author became pregnant, thinking it was the end of the world. All of the people around the author advised her to get an abortion, because she was too young and wouldn’t be able to party anymore. Because of the author’s personal values, the author knew that she would regret getting an abortion and she believed that having the baby was the best decision for her. This is a personal example from the author’s life...