Nrs-437v | Introduction to the Study of Ethics

My Moral Compass The personal values that help contribute to my worldview and philosophy of nursing that is most important, is my religion. I am a Christian and this means that I am to be Christ like in my every day life and work. I am taught to treat others as I would want to be treated and care for them as I would do for myself. I am to help the sick, wounded, poor and widowed. Nursing in its roots are very much the same thing. Helping the ones who are unable to help themself. The underlying rule for nurses is to do no harm. My spiritual vales shape who I am, what I am and what I do. If I do all things as if I were doing them to the glory of God, then I know all things would turn out right. When obeying God and his commands, my spiritual values teach me that all things work to the good of God and according to his purpose. Values are defined as the criteria to which actions, people and states of affairs are judged ( Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology 2006). Merriam-Webster defines morals as, of, or relating to principles of right and wrong behavior (Merriam-Webster). Ethics are the science of morality and also known as moral philosophy. It is defined as it seeks to discover a consistent principle by which human actions and character can be judged ( The Macmillan Encyclopedia, 2003a). The values, moral, and ethics that may effect my obligation to nursing practice are ones that are from the American Nurses Association’s code of conduct. It is my duty to follow a specific set of nursing code of ethics, which states the nurse shall in all professional relationships, practice with respect and dignity, worth and uniqueness of every individual, unrestricted by factors of socioeconomic class, personal attributes or the nature of the health problem. The primary commitment is to the patient, family, group and or community; protecting the health, safety, and the rights of the patient (American Nurses Association, Inc, 2001). My personal views,

References: values. (2006). In Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/hodderdpsyc/values Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Merriam-webster dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral ethics. (2003). In The Macmillan Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?qurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.credoreference.com/entry/move/ethics American Nurses Association, Ince. (2001). Code of ethics with interpretive statements. Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/EthicsStandards/CodeofEthicsforNurses/Code-of-Ethics.pdf