Imagine a nurse entrusted with the critical responsibility of patient care succumbing to the temptation to steal medications. This scenario presents a profound ethical dilemma. How can we justify, if at all, such an act? Is there ever a morally acceptable reason for a nurse to take medications, whether for personal use or to help others outside of official protocols?
Drawing on an ethical theory from our course, please explore the moral dimensions of this issue. Consider the ramifications for patients, the healthcare organization for which the nurse works, and the nursing profession’s moral integrity as a whole.
In your response, clearly articulate your position, using the core principles of virtue ethics, Kantian ethics, or utilitarianism to support your view. (Select only one of these ethical systems to focus your response.) Aim for a thoughtful analysis that reflects deep engagement with the ethical complexities of this situation.
Category: PHL
-
Title: The Ethical Dilemma of a Nurse Stealing Medications: A Virtue Ethics Perspective In the healthcare profession, nurses are entrusted with the critical responsibility of providing proper care and treatment to patients. They are expected to uphold ethical
-
The Moral Implications of Eating Nonhuman Animals: A Discussion on Ethical Theories and Animal Rights
Discuss the moral implications of eating nonhuman animals. Respond to one of the following:
Is it morally permissible to raise and kill animals to eat them in our society, where nutritious alternatives to animal foods are readily available? If we were somewhere where there were inadequate non-animal foods, would that make a difference to the morality of using animals for food? Which ethical theory (utilitarian, virtue ethics, Kantian, etc.) based on its core principles is most consistent with your outlook on consuming animals? (USLOs 7.1, 7.2, 7.3)
Do animals have rights, and humans have a moral obligation to uphold those rights, or is it the case that animals do not have rights but that humans have a moral obligation not to treat animals cruelly? Explain your answer. Which ethical theory (utilitarian, virtue ethics, Kantian, etc.) based on its core principles is most consistent with your outlook on consuming animals? (USLOs 7.1, 7.2, 7.3)