...Running head: MY MORAL COMPASS My Moral Compass My Moral Compass Our deepest and enduring sense of identity comes from realizing our connection to the larger world (Bloom, n.d.). Morality directs life’s journey; it is the basis of all decisions, attitudes, and goals. The process of being moral is developed from personal experiences and parental guidance. One set of values may differ from another, but neither is wrong. The Code of Ethics designed by the American Nurse’s Association (ANA) in 2001, is the framework for ethical practice and personal moral beliefs in nursing. The moral compass is the key component to ethical decision making and practice as defined by ANA. Nurses use a moral compass to guide them in ethically caring for patients. Each compass is unique and carries with it a specific set of values. Personal, cultural, and spiritual values influence nursing care and create a professional moral compass. Two values that contribute to my professional self identity are justice and compassion. Judicial treatment in the American healthcare system is easier to obtain than in some other countries. However, the incorporation of insurance companies can make obtaining ethical care more challenging. The insurance based health system is directed and influenced by money, making the majority of a patient’s care based on approval or denial of claims to maintain health. It is difficult as a nurse to deliver adequate care at times when better care could be given. For example...
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...My Professional Moral Compass A professional moral compass is something everyone has and lives by. It helps assist in making decisions and is based on morals or virtues. My personal moral compass is directed by various inspirations, passions, and values that I try to live by. Compassion, loyalty, integrity, honor, faithfulness, hard work, service unto others, self-discipline, accountability, and a good sense of humor contribute to my worldview and philosophy of nursing. I try to give the same quality of care to all patients and their family members, which I would want to be given as if it were I or my loved one. A nurse uses their professional moral compass to make the best decisions for their patient. Nursing is all about the patients and without values, morals, and ethics nurses lose the focus on the patients. Values are the moral principles and beliefs or accepted standards of a person or social group (“Value“, n.d.). Values are important because they can help influence decisions, actions, even nurse’s ethical decision making. Morals in nursing are the principles of behavior in accordance with standards of right and wrong. Ethics is about what kind of persons we are becoming – our character and how our choices shape us (“Ethics”, n.d.). The ethics of nursing is the nurse's obligation to respect the human rights of the patient and this is reflected in a number of professional codes for nurses. Values, morals, and ethics guide nurses to provide the best possible care for their...
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...Running Head: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL ETHICS Personal and Professional Ethics Dawn McGaffick Grand Canyon University: NRS 437V July 24, 2011 Personal and Professional Ethics For the past several days I have been pondering what ethics means. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, ethics is defined as “A set of moral principles” (2011). You have business ethics, medical ethics, political ethics, and religious ethics. Ethics are also found in marriage, when you take your vows you are promising to fulfill a set of moral principles. If you do not fulfill those principles, you are unethical. This paper is going to discuss my professional moral compass, personal values, cultural values, spiritual values and how they shape my nursing practice. I will also touch on how the moral and ethical dilemmas affect health care today. Professional Moral Compass My professional moral compass started when I first entered college. It was during my business education that ethics was originally discussed. In business, a moral compass seems to be lacking. The goal of business ethics encompasses staying out of trouble with the law while continuing to producing money. Luckily I went to a Christian college and they not only taught the goal of making the company you work for profitable but also fulfilling your obligation with morality. While in nursing school, the nursing code of ethics was discussed often. The code of ethics gave us a strong guideline in how to conduct...
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...My Nursing Ethic There are several factors that contribute to who humans truly are as individuals. We are all shaped by our personal experiences, memories, emotions, and knowledge affecting our perceptions, reasoning and judgment of people and situations. The collection of these factors makes up the basis for an individual’s personal ethical philosophy. A personal philosophy, or worldview, guides behaviors and acts as a source of inspiration and motivation. As a nurse, it is essential to consider the client’s worldview as it is the basis for their reality and will have an effect on the view of their health and is necessary in providing a holistic plan of care. In order for the professional nurse to provide such care it is essential to have an awareness of factors influencing his or her own worldview and develop a moral compass (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008). My Professional Moral Compass According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English, a moral compass is, "anything which serves to guide a person’s decisions based on morals or virtues,” (Moral compass, 2011). My personal moral compass is directed by various inspirations, passions, and values that have become essential to my happiness. Family, laughter, integrity, benevolence, honor, loyalty, hard work, service unto others, self-discipline, compassion, and accountability were values instilled in me at a very young age. I am most thankful to my parents for making it a priority to stress these values...
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...My Professional Moral Compass. Distinct moral compass in an individual directs him/her to decide what the correct behavior is and what not the correct behavior is. An Indian nurse, who belongs to the Jain community, considers eating non-vegetarian food and any root-crops is unacceptable, whereas an Indian nurse of Christian or an Islamic religion would perceive it to be just normal to include them in their diet. For the nurse, who follow Jainism it is despicable, but the Christian or Muslim nurse would believe that they are the essential components of their daily diet. Such code of ethics of an individual is developed and refined from the social and cultural background from childhood to adulthood. Every human being initiates to develop ethical standard or character virtually from birth. As they go through developmental phases, they are taught right from wrong, generate empathy for others through interactive observations and understand as to how to behave in a style that is appropriately. They cultivate different perceptions, philosophies, cultural outlooks and distinct ethical concepts, as they go through real life experiences. I attained the basic knowledge of life basically from my parents, church, schools; right from kindergarten, books and from personal reflections. The principles and morals developed over time shaped me as what I am today and help me to interact effectively in society. Some folks follow heroes and heroines as a role model. Specific values,...
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...Running head: MY NURSING ETHIC My Nursing Ethic Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Health Care NRS-437V July 21, 2011 My Nursing Ethic There are several factors that contribute to who humans truly are as individuals. We are all shaped by our personal experiences, memories, emotions, and knowledge affecting our perceptions, reasoning and judgment of people and situations. The collection of these factors makes up the basis for an individual’s personal ethical philosophy. A personal philosophy, or worldview, guides behaviors and acts as a source of inspiration and motivation. As a nurse, it is essential to consider the client’s worldview as it is the basis for their reality and will have an effect on the view of their health and is necessary in providing a holistic plan of care. In order for the professional nurse to provide such care it is essential to have an awareness of factors influencing his or her own worldview and develop a moral compass (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008). My Professional Moral Compass According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English, a moral compass is, "anything which serves to guide a person’s decisions based on morals or virtues,” (Moral compass, 2011). My personal moral compass is directed by various inspirations, passions, and values that have become essential to my happiness. Family, laughter, integrity, benevolence, honor, loyalty, hard work, service unto others, self-discipline, compassion, and accountability...
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...Running head: MY NURSING ETHICS PAPER My Nursing Ethics Paper Grand Canyon University Course Instructor Date My Nursing Ethics Paper Professional Moral Compass A moral compass is the one that serves to direct a person to make a choice based on morals and virtues, or at times, character. There are four essential aspects of professional moral compass, they are; integrity, responsibility, compassion, and forgiveness (Kiel & lennick, 2006). Integrity means speaking the truth, standing up for rights, and keeping up with promises, being consistent with general philosophy, individual values, and beliefs. Integrity demonstrates nursing’s ethical commitment to providing compassionate care. The nurse recognizes the worth and privacy of each individual and therefore acts in a manner to respect the privacy and values of the patient. A nurse who practices integrity acts in a way that is consistent with what they understand will be the right thing to do. They possess a strong sense of themselves. Nurses accept the patients as social beings who must respect and engage with the moral position of others. Integrity is a rich and complex social virtue through which the individual is able to demonstrate their relationship with the values and customs of the communities of which they are members. Be responsible and accept the mistakes you have made and forgive others when they do the same. Compassion is viewed as a nurse’s most valuable quality. It is an essential element of nursing...
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...Personal Moral Compass As health care professionals, nurses are anticipated to foster a moral compass by which they navigate ethical dilemmas that may evolve in nursing practice. These dilemmas may present in every aspect of their practice. The worldview and philosophy of nursing is influenced by one’s personal, spiritual and cultural values. At times one’s personal values, world view and philosophy may contradict with each other and that will generate an ethical dilemma. The American Nurses’ Association (ANA) has adopted “The Code of Ethics” which is intended to provide standard guidelines that are essential to the ethical discharge of the nurses’ responsibilities. When facing ethical dilemma in nursing practice, nurses’ personal ethics in combination with the code of ethics enable them to make personal and social decision. This capability prompts them to act on suffering patient’s needs. In this essay, the writer will be discussing personal, cultural, and spiritual values contributing to nurses’ individual worldview and philosophy of nursing and the moral and ethical dilemma being faced in their profession. Values Contributing to Individual’s Worldview and Philosophy of Nursing My personal moral compass is contributed by various inspirations, passions and values. A person’s origin has a strong impact on their personal, spiritual, cultural values and beliefs. The author was born and raised in India in a Christian religious background. We have a culture of respecting...
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...My Nursing Ethics According to the Cambridge Dictionary (2013), a moral compass is “a natural feeling that makes people know what is right and wrong and how they should behave”. A professional moral compass is similar to our conscience that guides our behavior in professional settings. The worldview and nursing philosophies in nursing practice are influenced by an individual’s upbringing, spiritual and cultural practices, life experiences, and other factors that are unique to each of us (Ohio Nurses Association, 2013). Ethical dilemmas arise when our personal values conflict with the duties of our practice (Purtilo & Doherty, 2012). In various settings, nurses frequently encounter ethical dilemmas. One must have a moral compass to guide us in our professional practice. There are some factors that contribute to who we are as individuals. From our upbringings, memories, personal experiences, knowledge and reasoning of people and situations shape who we are, making our personal ethical philosophy. Through her desire to be a good and caring person, this student started reading and learning from the Bible and believe in God. This student started to develop her moral compass. Principles and values such as family, the golden rule, hard work, self-discipline, honesty, compassion, fairness, integrity, respect, benevolence, loyalty, accountability, and service to others, to name some, have been instilled in this student from a young age and this student utilizes these principles and...
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...Loyalty “Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers.” Duty “Fulfill your obligations.” Respect “Treat people as they should be treated.” Selfless Service “Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates above your own.” Honor “Live up to the army values.” Integrity “Do what’s right legally and morally.” and Personal Courage “Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).” We are all drilled on these 7 army values from day one of basic training. First we commit them to memory. Then we learn to live by them. The three Army Values that pertain the most to this particular incident are Loyalty, Integrity, and Honor. What I am going to do is define each using the Army’s definition and then state how I did not use them. First being, Loyalty- is bearing witness to your allegiance to the US Constitution and its ideals, to the Army, to your unit, to your fellow Soldiers and subordinates, and to yourself as an Army Professional. Loyalty means placing your professional obligations and commitments before your personal ones. It means dedication to carrying out all of your unit’s missions and to serving faithfully the values of the country, the Army, and your unit. Loyalty is a value that has to be worked upon; Non Commissioned Officers cannot just demand that their troops be loyal to both them and to each other. Loyalty to one’s own unit and to other soldiers also allows comrades to develop deep and lasting...
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...Professional and Moral Compass in Nursing It is something that everyone has to live by. God created man to lead a happy life in this universe. The responsibility of each one is to live as the creator wish to be and also let others to live contentedly in this planet. So all of us have their responsibilities to accomplish during this period. Beliefs and ethical values help us to attain our goal according to God’s desires. To work sincerely and with responsibility and with moral values with my nursing professions my goal. Personal Values It has four directions like physical compass and moral compass includes believes, vision, ideals, and proper presentation. Everybody is distinctive and is having their own individual standards and consider generally inborn since relationships and traditions. According to me this profession reflects on as a dignified line of work and serving for health and to improve the healing of someone as of emotional, bodily, or psychological reasons is deem as godly. This career assists me to lessen the misery of other people than as to get a work. I consider it as my liability to carry out my work faithfully along with sincerity. A noble nurse is some who is generous, caring and compassionate. Also I believe as the NURSE stands for Nobility, Usefulness, Responsible, Selfishlessness and Eligibility. Moral Values The moral values depends on responsibility, fairness and honesty, in every individual ., A moral compass is something...
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... personal experiences, and learned knowledge. A combination of these is an individual’s view of life. Morals can be described as lessons learned and the correct way to behave or act that is considered right, and values can be defined as strongly held beliefs (Merrim-Webster, 2012). The definition of ethics as stated in the Merrim-Webster dictionary is the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. These three terms can be tied together to define one’s own personal ethics. Values are learned as a child that parents teach, morals are developed from what is taught, and ethics is how a person behaves when faced with a difficult situation. An individual’s beliefs will continue on throughout life and be incorporated into their everyday lives. Ones personal ethics can be different from the next. What one may see as right, another may view as wrong. Medical professionals have established ethical standards that guide their everyday practice. This paper will discuss the writer’s personal worldview and how these are incorporated into her daily practice as a registered nurse caring for burn patients. Professional Moral Compass According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English[->0], a moral compass is, "anything which serves to guide a person’s decisions based on morals or virtues" (2012). This writer considers moral compass to be conscience. This is based on what was learned and instilled while growing up. These include integrity...
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...contribute to our personal philosophy. This personal philosophy guides every individuals behaviors and stands as an origin of encouragement. A nurse should keep in mind that every single person is unique and everyone’s personal philosophy influences his or her view of health. So it is important for a nurse to have an awareness of factors influencing his or her own worldview and develop a moral compass (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2008). Professional Moral Compass Moral compass is a natural feeling that makes people know what is right and wrong and how they should behave. Every human being has his own moral compass that is primarily formed by parental interactions and influences. Moral compass is driven by a person's beliefs, ambitions, values and contentment. As a nurse I give importance to hard work, honesty, discipline, integrity, respect, compassion, knowledge, innovation, responsibility and devotion. I believe a nurse who possesses these values can provide the best possible care to every patient. I give priority to these values which guide me in my decisions and essentially contribute to my happiness. Contributions to Worldview and Nursing...
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...Ethics in Medicine: The Moral Compass Introduction to Health Care 02/16/15 Morals are the compass each of us have inside of us that help us to make decisions. They guide towards good and evil, or right and wrong. The thing that makes morals so unique and interesting is that no two compasses are exactly the same just as no two people are the same. The health care industry is probably one of the most praised and criticized industries for its moral compass. If we look solely at the topic of abortion from a moral standpoint the spectrum of beliefs is very wide. This paper will discuss four different moral principles and compare them. The first moral principle is beneficence. Beneficence is defined as “acts of mercy, kindness, and charity.”(1) It can also mean to, “Refer to an action done to benefit others”(1). In terms of medicine this means to do all that you can do to your patients. This principle is unique because how do you define what a benefit to another is. For example physician assisted suicide for example is a benefit to the person who is ill. But what is the benefit to the child or parent whom is left behind. Let’s say someone has ALS, the prognosis is terminal. They are going to die from this disease because the fluid will continue to build in their lungs and eventually they will stop breathing. Now if that person who is suffering tremendously with their illness can benefit and not suffer anymore isn’t the physician helping them? Or is the physician...
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...Professional Moral Compass Professional moral compass is something every professional has and lives by especially in the field of nursing. When we look into nursing practice, philosophy of nursing and worldview are contributed by an individual’s personal, spiritual and cultural values. It is evident that one’s personal value, worldview and philosophy may conflict with her commitment to practice and also creating an ethical dilemma. Personal, spiritual and cultural values have high influence on any individual’s life. Personal Values Values and morals are something that is developed during childhood and highly influenced by religion and culture. I was born and raised in India and it is a part of Indian culture to give the best to others and that became a part of my character. Even today I make sure that I give high quality and the best care to my patients and families. As a nurse, I handle the life of my patients and I am responsible and accountable for what I do. So that made me to work hard to achieve the best and make sure that my patients get the best care and respect they deserve. Moral Values According to Frank J. Navran “morals are values which we attribute to system of beliefs, typically a religious system, but it could be a political system of some other set of beliefs” (Navran, 2010). Life experience and situations has a major role in developing values in one’s life. Morals are the difference between right and wrong doing. A nurse with a good moral value cannot...
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