Codes Of Ethics In The Healthcare Field: Different Groups

Codes Of Ethicsin The Healthcare Field Different Groups Of Healthcare

Research two different codes of ethics for any two groups of healthcare professionals. Compare and contrast the codes, highlighting major similarities and differences. Consider a scenario involving patient triage during a disaster when hospitals are overwhelmed and explain how each group's code of ethics guides the resolution of such dilemmas, supporting responses with examples and APA citations.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The healthcare profession is rooted in a profound commitment to ethical principles that guide practitioners' conduct toward patients and colleagues. Different groups of healthcare professionals, including nurses and physicians, have developed specific codes of ethics that reflect their responsibilities and moral obligations. These codes serve as frameworks to uphold professionalism, guide decision-making in complex situations like disaster triage, and ensure that patient care maintains integrity and compassion. This paper compares and contrasts the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics and the American Medical Association (AMA) Principles of Medical Ethics, illustrating how each addresses ethical dilemmas such as patient triage during overburdened hospital scenarios.

Codes of Ethics in Nursing and Medicine

The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses (2015) emphasizes principles such as patient advocacy, the dignity and respect of patients, and the accountability of nurses (ANA, 2015). It underscores the nurse's role in safeguarding patient rights, maintaining confidentiality, and providing equitable care. The code highlights the moral obligation to ensure that all patients receive necessary care, even amidst resource constraints, by advocating for fair prioritization and transparency.

On the other hand, the AMA Principles of Medical Ethics (2021) focus on professionalism, beneficence, and non-maleficence. It commits physicians to prioritize patient welfare, respect patient autonomy, and maintain honesty and integrity. The AMA explicitly states that physicians have a duty to support equitable treatment and to prioritize patients based on clinical need in crisis scenarios (AMA, 2021).

Despite their different professional focus,both codes emphasize core ethical principles such as beneficence, justice, and respect for persons. Both stress the importance of maintaining trust, practicing honesty, and advocating for patients’ best interests, placing a moral obligation on practitioners during extraordinary situations like disasters.

Major Similarities

The primary similarities between the ANA and AMA codes are their shared commitment to patient welfare, fairness, and integrity. Both emphasize that healthcare professionals have a duty to deliver equitable care and to navigate resource limitations ethically. For instance, during triage in disaster scenarios, both codes advocate for treating patients based on urgency and need, not on social status or personal bias (ACHP, 2009). They also stress communication and transparency with patients and colleagues to uphold trust and uphold professional standards.

Additionally, both codes recognize the importance of personal responsibility and accountability. Nurses and physicians are expected to act ethically and within their scope of practice, ensuring the safety of their patients even in high-pressure situations.

Major Differences

While the codes align on core principles, some differences arise due to the nature of each profession’s responsibilities. The ANA code provides specific guidance regarding patient advocacy, emphasizing respecting patient autonomy and promoting social justice (ANA, 2015). It explicitly encourages nurses to act as advocates for patients facing resource scarcity, such as in disasters.

The AMA code emphasizes the physician's role in making clinical judgments based on medical expertise. It underscores the importance of maintaining integrity and honesty, especially when Disclosing potential conflicts of interest or rationing decisions (AMA, 2021). It also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration with other healthcare providers, reflecting the Physician’s broader role in system-level decision-making.

Furthermore, the ANA's language often emphasizes holistic patient care and societal justice, while the AMA's focus centers more on professional competence, clinical decision-making, and maintaining public trust.

Triage During a Disaster: Ethical Applications

In a disaster scenario where hospitals are overwhelmed, healthcare professionals must prioritize care efficiently, often involving triage — deciding which patients receive immediate treatment. According to the ANA code, nurses are guided by principles of advocacy, fairness, and respect for human dignity. They are expected to support transparent triage protocols that treat patients fairly based on clinical urgency and needs while ensuring no patient is discriminated against (ANA, 2015). Nurses should advocate for vulnerable populations and ensure that triage decisions align with the ethical principles of justice.

Physicians operating under the AMA code are also bound by principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. They are tasked with making rapid, evidence-based decisions to save the maximum number of lives, often following triage protocols like START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment). Physicians are expected to be honest with patients and families about care limitations, ensuring fairness in allocating scarce resources (Gostin et al., 2020).

Both groups are ethically guided to balance individual patient needs against the collective good. In practice, they might collaborate to implement triage protocols that maximize survival while respecting individual dignity, consistent with their respective codes. Nurses may advocate for equitable treatment and transparency, ensuring critical yet compassionate care, while physicians may focus on clinical prioritization based on severity and prognosis.

Conclusion

The codes of ethics for nurses and physicians form a foundation that guides their responses during crises like hospital overcrowding and disaster situations. Both emphasize core ethical principles such as justice, beneficence, and respect for human dignity, though their specific emphases differ due to professional roles. In disaster triage, these ethical codes support healthcare providers in making difficult decisions that balance individual patient needs against the collective good, reinforcing their moral responsibilities to act compassionately and fairly. Understanding and adhering to these codes ensures that even in dire scenarios, healthcare professionals uphold the integrity of their profession and the trust placed in them by society.

References

1. American Nurses Association. (2015). Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements. ANA.
2. American Medical Association. (2021). AMA Principles of Medical Ethics. AMA.
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4. American College of Healthcare Executives. (2009). Ethical Decision-Making in Disaster Response. ACHP.
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