NUR1 424 Legal and Ethical Issues: Nursing Ethics Notes -
Summary for Nursing Midterm Exam Prep 2025 McGill Universit
Lecture 1: Learning Objectives
- Discuss the historical context relevant to bioethics broadly and nursing ethics
specifically
- Articulate the fields of ethics and the relevant nursing questions that they discuss.
- Reflect on nursing as a moral endeavor.
- Discuss nursing codes of ethics and apply them to practice.
- Reflect on cultural care as it applies to nursing ethics.
- Discuss the concepts of cultural safety and cultural humility.
Lecture 1: Readings- Chapter 21: Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing
Guiding Questions
Section: Situating Ethics (pp. 343-347)
• What is meant by the nurses occupying “in between” spaces?
• The nurse strives to maintain balance and meet the needs of more than one stakeholder
• How can you describe your nursing practice as a moral endeavour?
• Everyday nursing is a moral endeavor because:
▪ Nurses must provide patient-centered care with empathy and compassion;
cultural sensitivity; integrity and trustworthiness; and safety and quality
▪ Nurses often face ethical dilemmas, such as respecting patient autonomy,
maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring justice in resource allocation
▪ Nurses are patient advocates
▪ Everyday nursing is a moral endeavor because it is grounded in principles of
caring, empathy, integrity, and advocacy for the well-being and rights of
patients
,Guiding Questions
Section: Analyzing the issues & Ethical Theories (pp. 347-349)
As you read this section, ask yourself:
- What are the main distinctions between deontological and consequentialist ethical theories?
o Deontologic: concerned w/the duties we have toward others → adherence to these
duties + consistency are what makes an action morally right
o Consequentialist: the rightness/wrongness of an action is det by the
outcomes/consequences of an action
▪ Ie. Utilitarianism
- What are some of the critiques of these two categories of ethical theories?
o Deontologic theory critiques:
▪ Often difficult to det what our duties are
▪ There can be multiple and conflicting duties w/no advice on how to handle it
▪ Paying attention only to duties and not outcomes/consequences can be
problematic/irresponsible
, o Consequentialist theory critiques:
▪ Our ability to predict outcomes is always imperfect since the future is so
uncertain
▪ Measuring abstract/subjective notions like happiness/goodness is challenging
▪ What one person considers good can be considered bad by another
o Critiques for both:
▪ Difficult to apply to real-life challenges
▪ Lack guidance for what principles should be used to make decisions
Notes
- 3 levels of moral responses to ethical problems:
o Expressive: simply stating how we feel about something w/o justification/rationale
▪ “I’m against MAiD b/c killing is wrong”
o Prereflective: citing legal, religious, or professional norms w/o critical reflection on those
norms
▪ “I oppose MAiD b/c my professional duty requires me to do no harm”
o Reflective: justification for the opinion is based on principles/values we’ve critically
reflected on
▪ “I oppose MAiD as the sanctity of all life and the principle of not doing harm
takes precedence over the autonomy of a person to choose”
Guiding Questions
Sections: Codes of Ethics & Ethics and the Law (pp. 349-351)
• What does a Code of Ethics typically contain?
o Statement of values + how to apply them
o Responsibilities + obligations
o Professional standards
o Prohibited conduct
o Conflict of interest → how to resolve it
o Reporting mechanisms
o Consequences of violations
• What is the relationship between Professional Codes of Ethics and the Law?
o What is legal may not be ethical, and vice versa
o Nurse’s legal obligations: to have knowledge of the legal boundaries of their jobs, to
protect patients’ rights, and to protect themselves from liability
• How does your own Code of Ethics inform your daily practice?
Lecture 1: History of Bioethics
Important Historical Events
- Nuremberg war crime tribunals (1945-1949) – the Nuremberg Code of 1947
- Nutrition studies in residential schools (1942-1952) – pablum studies
- Tuskegee syphilis study (1932-1972)
- US studies in Guatemala (1946-1972)
, - Radiation studies (1944-1948)
- REBs in 60s
- Declaration of Helsinki (1964)
- Belmont report (1979)
Fields of Ethics
- Metaethics: looks @ deep philosophical questions, defining moral terms, and asking questions
like “What is the meaning?”
- Normative: focuses on the formulation + defense of basic principles, values, virtues, and ideals
governing moral behavior. Asks questions like “What makes an action right or wrong?”
- Descriptive: focuses on factual descriptions and observations. An empirical analysis of what
people actually do and what their reasons are. It describes the current reality
- Applied: focuses on the practical application of ethics to specific contexts. Asks “In real life/this
specific context, what is the right thing to do?”
Summary for Nursing Midterm Exam Prep 2025 McGill Universit
Lecture 1: Learning Objectives
- Discuss the historical context relevant to bioethics broadly and nursing ethics
specifically
- Articulate the fields of ethics and the relevant nursing questions that they discuss.
- Reflect on nursing as a moral endeavor.
- Discuss nursing codes of ethics and apply them to practice.
- Reflect on cultural care as it applies to nursing ethics.
- Discuss the concepts of cultural safety and cultural humility.
Lecture 1: Readings- Chapter 21: Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing
Guiding Questions
Section: Situating Ethics (pp. 343-347)
• What is meant by the nurses occupying “in between” spaces?
• The nurse strives to maintain balance and meet the needs of more than one stakeholder
• How can you describe your nursing practice as a moral endeavour?
• Everyday nursing is a moral endeavor because:
▪ Nurses must provide patient-centered care with empathy and compassion;
cultural sensitivity; integrity and trustworthiness; and safety and quality
▪ Nurses often face ethical dilemmas, such as respecting patient autonomy,
maintaining confidentiality, and ensuring justice in resource allocation
▪ Nurses are patient advocates
▪ Everyday nursing is a moral endeavor because it is grounded in principles of
caring, empathy, integrity, and advocacy for the well-being and rights of
patients
,Guiding Questions
Section: Analyzing the issues & Ethical Theories (pp. 347-349)
As you read this section, ask yourself:
- What are the main distinctions between deontological and consequentialist ethical theories?
o Deontologic: concerned w/the duties we have toward others → adherence to these
duties + consistency are what makes an action morally right
o Consequentialist: the rightness/wrongness of an action is det by the
outcomes/consequences of an action
▪ Ie. Utilitarianism
- What are some of the critiques of these two categories of ethical theories?
o Deontologic theory critiques:
▪ Often difficult to det what our duties are
▪ There can be multiple and conflicting duties w/no advice on how to handle it
▪ Paying attention only to duties and not outcomes/consequences can be
problematic/irresponsible
, o Consequentialist theory critiques:
▪ Our ability to predict outcomes is always imperfect since the future is so
uncertain
▪ Measuring abstract/subjective notions like happiness/goodness is challenging
▪ What one person considers good can be considered bad by another
o Critiques for both:
▪ Difficult to apply to real-life challenges
▪ Lack guidance for what principles should be used to make decisions
Notes
- 3 levels of moral responses to ethical problems:
o Expressive: simply stating how we feel about something w/o justification/rationale
▪ “I’m against MAiD b/c killing is wrong”
o Prereflective: citing legal, religious, or professional norms w/o critical reflection on those
norms
▪ “I oppose MAiD b/c my professional duty requires me to do no harm”
o Reflective: justification for the opinion is based on principles/values we’ve critically
reflected on
▪ “I oppose MAiD as the sanctity of all life and the principle of not doing harm
takes precedence over the autonomy of a person to choose”
Guiding Questions
Sections: Codes of Ethics & Ethics and the Law (pp. 349-351)
• What does a Code of Ethics typically contain?
o Statement of values + how to apply them
o Responsibilities + obligations
o Professional standards
o Prohibited conduct
o Conflict of interest → how to resolve it
o Reporting mechanisms
o Consequences of violations
• What is the relationship between Professional Codes of Ethics and the Law?
o What is legal may not be ethical, and vice versa
o Nurse’s legal obligations: to have knowledge of the legal boundaries of their jobs, to
protect patients’ rights, and to protect themselves from liability
• How does your own Code of Ethics inform your daily practice?
Lecture 1: History of Bioethics
Important Historical Events
- Nuremberg war crime tribunals (1945-1949) – the Nuremberg Code of 1947
- Nutrition studies in residential schools (1942-1952) – pablum studies
- Tuskegee syphilis study (1932-1972)
- US studies in Guatemala (1946-1972)
, - Radiation studies (1944-1948)
- REBs in 60s
- Declaration of Helsinki (1964)
- Belmont report (1979)
Fields of Ethics
- Metaethics: looks @ deep philosophical questions, defining moral terms, and asking questions
like “What is the meaning?”
- Normative: focuses on the formulation + defense of basic principles, values, virtues, and ideals
governing moral behavior. Asks questions like “What makes an action right or wrong?”
- Descriptive: focuses on factual descriptions and observations. An empirical analysis of what
people actually do and what their reasons are. It describes the current reality
- Applied: focuses on the practical application of ethics to specific contexts. Asks “In real life/this
specific context, what is the right thing to do?”
