Overview
This week’s discussion activities concern the ethics of your profession. “Ethics refer to conventional standards of right and wrong that prescribe what people should do” (Guffey & Loewy, 2008, p. 24). In this week, I invite you to think beyond the rules of writing good sentences and paragraphs, and to think about your obligations and responsibilities to your organization, colleagues, patients, university, and to the public. In communicating on the job as a nurse, you will have to juggle your obligations to these different parties and determine which has priority. As a nurse, you should know the basic ethical principles of your profession so that you can make the right decisions when faced with dilemmas on the job. There are at least three major sources that can provide you with guidance on ethical behavior:
- The Code of Ethics set by your professional organization (e.g., Code of Ethics for Nurses by the American Nurses Association)
- The Code of Ethics set by your hospital (e.g., Code of Ethical Conduct by Baylor Health Care System)
- Your own sense of right and wrong
QUESTION:
Below are two ethical dilemmas that relate to on-the-job communication (one in an e-mail message and the other about a presentation). In your discussion post, tell us the action you would take for each dilemma and explain why.
E-mail Message*. You accidentally received a message outlining your hospital’s downsizing plan. You see that your friend’s position will be eliminated. She and her husband are about to purchase a new home. Should you tell her that her job is in danger?
Presentation*. You are preparing for a presentation with a short deadline. You find perfect wording and great graphics on the Internet. Should you lift the graphics and wording but change a few words? You figure that if it is on the Internet, it must be in the public domain.
* The dilemma is adapted from Guffey and Loewy’s Business Communication: Profess and Product, 7th Edition, 2008.
** Do not forget to cite your sources.
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