In the course of provision of healthcare to patients, nurses are usually subjected to environments that are physically demanding and intellectually challenging, often characterized by numerous ethical concerns and dilemmas. It is for this reason that every nurse approaches their professional life from a certain worldview which could be identified with a specific ethical theory. In my endeavor to becoming a professional and efficient nurse, I always apply the principlism ethical theoretical framework which ultimately describes my personal worldview in the context of my career life. In this paper, I will use examples so as to expound on this ethical theoretical framework as an explanation to my approach of life.
The Principlism ethical theoretical framework is an essential system of ethics since it is based on moral judgments and is widely accepted by most intellectuals. It is usually guided by three major principles namely: Autonomy; which is can be explained as free will and respect to people, Beneficence; this is the vow and desire to always do good and avoid causing harm, and the other guiding principle is Social justice; which can be explained as the distribution of benefits and burdens (Johnstone & Megan 39). Unlike other theoretical approaches to healthcare such as the Hippocratic rule, virtue ethics and Consequentialism, principlism is multi-principled theory that is a vital tool in my decision-making especially when faced with a dilemma.
A simple example of how this theoretical framework helps in my decision-making and ultimately solving my dilemma can be explained through two or more demanding obligations. For instance, a physician had promised to take her son to the library but she faces an emergency medical situation. She now contemplates by considering the most pressing situation, whether to take her son to the library some other time or should another physician handle the emergency situation. Through this healthcare theoretical approach I am able to have a personal worldview that makes it less difficult to handle various challenges that would face me in the future as a practicing healthcare provider.
Works cited
Johnstone, Megan-Jane. Bioethics: a nursing perspective. Churchill Livingstone Australia, 2011.
