Margarita Rodriguez
Philosophy of Nursing
Millers College of Nursing
October 16, 2015
How does deontology relate to an individual nurse?s professional practice of nursing?
According to the American Nurses Association, Deontology, an ethical theory founded by Immanuel Kant, applies judgments based on the underlying morality, or the rightness or wrongness of an action. It is based upon adherence to rules. The driving factor of decisions are evaluated through the intentions rather than the outcomes. Actions are classified into categories. Two of the most outstanding ones include universal law of humanity (categorical imperative) and principle of ends, which perceives that actions should be based in the end and never merely as a means (2011).
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What are my moral obligations? How do I weigh one moral duty against another? (Deontology and Ethics: What is Deontology, Deontological Ethics?) Nurses face this questions every day in the workforce. Nurses face many situations in the workplace which deals with issues of health, life, and death, for example lying to a patient about their diagnosis. According to Kant nurses must determine if lying is an acceptable ethical behavior. Rationally, lying is not ethical and is not tolerable to any situation as it violates the duty to tell the truth to those individuals who are entitled to honest information, in which nurse-patient relationship or trusts will not develop. Deontologist also believes that killing a fetus is wrong and immoral. Deontology suggest that health care workers have a ?moral duty, to maintain and preserve life? (Timby, Barbara 45). Therefore, deontologists believe that it is immoral for a nurse to assist with the abortion process, assist with suicide for the terminally ill patient, or execution of a convicted murderer (Timby, Barbara