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Ethics

LTC Nursing Assistant Trainer, April 6, 2005

Ethics are a set of principles based on what is right or wrong. Having ethics is a very important component of being a healthcare worker. Most facilities that provide healthcare services-whether they be nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, or hospitals-agree to follow a set of standards called a code of ethics, which is a guide to moral behavior.

Ethical standards come from many sources, such as religious beliefs, legal standards, and-in the case of your workplace-federal and state laws and facility policies. The following are common components of a code of ethics:

• Respect for life
  One of the basic rules of healthcare ethics is respect for life. A major role of all members of a healthcare team is to preserve life when possible and to make comfortable those residents whose lives are limited.

• Respect for each individual
  Respect each resident as a valuable person, not a case, duty, or room number.

• Privacy
  Every time you choose whether to take the time to close the privacy curtains or knock before entering a resident's room, you are deciding if you will follow an ethical and legal standard of privacy.

• Confidentiality of information
  Maintaining confidentiality of all residents' information is one of the most important parts of a code of ethics. Unfortunately, this is frequently unintentionally violated. Be careful when discussing residents anywhere the conversation may be overheard.

• Neglect or abuse issues
  Laws, as well as ethics, require healthcare workers to provide complete and proper care to residents. Failure to do so can result in charges of negligence or abuse. Laws also require healthcare workers who suspect neglect or abuse to report the situation immediately. Failure to report abuse can result in criminal charges.

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