clinical reasoning
the complex thought process that health professionals use during therapeutic interactions
ethical reasoning
a mode of clinical reasoning used to recognize, analyze, and clarify ethical problems that arise; helps clinicians make decisions regarding the right thing to do in a particular case; the focus is not on what COULD be done for the patient, rather on what SHOULD be done
ethical theory
a theory that is researched and well-developed and provides us with an assumption about the very nature of doing right and wrong
ethical approach
does not propose to be a complete system of model but an aid to exiting ethical theories
normative ethics
the study of ethical action; it is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of questions that arise when considering how one ought to act, morally speaking
metaethics
a branch of analytic philosophy that explores the status, foundations, and scope of moral values, properties, and words; whereas the fields of applied ethics and normative theory focus on what is moral, this focuses on what morality itself isBook def: tries to discover the nature and meaning of ethical reasons we propose as valid for making judgements about morality
story or case approach
ethical approach that assumes that morally relevant information is embedded in the story
foundationalist based
(in Epistemology) a belief that is justified based on basic or foundational beliefs
narrative approaches
ethical approach based on the observation that humans become a part of a community through the hearing and telling of stories; concludes that good moral judgment lies on the analysis and understanding of narratives
postmodernists
assert that because there are radical differences among people and cultures, according to gender, age, ethnicity, or other differences, no one set of moral rules or values is a valid guide "across the board" or even "across a relationship"Postmodern sociology can be said to focus on conditions of life which became increasingly prevalent in the late 20th century in the most industrialized nations, including the ubiquity of mass media and mass production, the rise of a global economy and a shift from manufacturing to service economies.
ethics of care approach
ethics approach that has as its major question: "What is required of a health professional to be best able to express, 'I care'?
virtue theory
theory that assumes that in order to live a good life (achieve a caring response as a professional), one must have good moral character which requires the cultivation of virtues (positive character traits)
character trait
a disposition or a readiness to act in certain ways, e.g., one that is or is not supportive of a high ethical standard
moral character
assemblage of traits that are supportive of a high ethical standard that are continuously put on display and morally define a person
principles
general action guides specifying that some type of action is prohibited, required, or permitted in certain circumstancesBook's def: general moral guidelines in the search for a course of action that will result in an outcome consistent with a caring response
principle-based approach
ethical approach that holds that some general moral norms or action guides are central in moral reasoning
nonmaleficence
Primum non nocere ("First, do no harm.")
beneficence
acting to benefit another
autonomy and self-determination
the capacity to act on your decisions freely and independently
fidelity
faithfulness to one's commitments
veracity
habitual truthfulness
paternalism
a policy or practice of treating or governing people in a fatherly manner, especially by providing for their needs without giving them rights or responsibilities
justice
the principle of being fair and reasonable
deontology
the study of the nature of duty and obligation
deontologic theories
ethical theory which maintains that in order to do what is good (achieve a caring response) one must determine and act upon one's duties
teleology
consequence-oriented theory
absolute duties
duties that are binding under all circumstances; they can never give way to another compelling duty or right
prima facie duties
duties that allow you to make choices among conflicting principles
conditional duties
a commitment that comes into being only after certain conditions are met
teleologic theories
ethical theories which maintains that in order to do what is good (achieve a caring response) one must place the focus on the ends brought about by and the consequences of actions
utilitarianism
teleologic theory that maintains that an act is right if it helps to bring about the best balance of benefits over burdens, in other words, the best "utility" or consequences overall
rule utilitarian
hybrid of deontologic and utilitarian approaches; maintains that you will always being about more good consequences by following certain "rules" or duties