Summary
The purpose of this course is to provide you with some tools for making
ethical decisions. Ethical analysis may include recognizing the difference in
ethics and law, some basic health care principles, and some theories of
decision-making. You should be able to apply these concepts to decisions in your
practice
setting. The most
important message of this course is to always remember to put the patient at the
center of our professional decisions. Since every patient and situation will be
different, there is no formula for determining in advance how you will make a
specific ethical decision. However, by being prepared and having thought through
some ethical issues, you can be better prepared the next time an ethical dilemma
arises. By respecting the patient's dignity, rights, beliefs, and values, we
will be able to continue the long legacy of ethical practice in our profession
even in this ever-evolving health care environment.
Continue with the course and you will find a short test over the concepts and principles referred to in this course. You will need to refer back to the cases. Send your answers back to the TPTA to receive your continuing education credits.
