3: Professional Ethics and Values

• Ethics


  - is the moral code that guides how an individual should behave.Branch of knowledge, it deals with moral principles.Ethics is also about the individual's search for meaning while dealing with human problems which may be:
• Logical


  (problems of reasoning
• Epistemological


  (problems of the truth)
• Cosmological


  (problems of universe)
• Ethical


  (problems of morality)
• Aesthetical


  (problems of art and beauty)
• Scientific


  (problems of science)
• School of Ethics


  Ethics deals with a diverse prescription of universal concepts and principles that serve as foundation of moral beliefs.
• For Donal Harrington,


  morality can be viewed in differrent perspectives- as a law, as an inner conviction, as love, as personal growth, and as social transformation.
• ETHICS

  Theoretical prescriptions/critiques -The nature ofthe good-The nature ofhuman person-Criteria forjudgement
• MORALITY


  Based on principles practiced by a particular community:-Fundamental convictions ofhuman agent-Character ofmoral agent-Use of normsSituational analysis
• Ethical relativism


  also known as moral relativism, is a school of ethics anchored on the principle that morality is relative to the norms of a particular culture.It is a theory based on norms relative to a particular culture or society.Ethical relativism acknowledges societal diversity, that every society has a unique moral design and culture; and people's beliefs are greatly influenced by culture.
• Pragmatism


  is a philosophical approach or movement that began in the 1870. The term was coined by Charles Sanders Peirce and further developed by William James.Pragmatic conception of good and truth can be applied in the medical context especially in terms of decision making and moral reasoning.
• ETHICAL UTILITARIANISM


  Founded by two English Philosophers Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), this school of ethics states that the rightnes or wrongness of actions is determined by their consequences. "actions are good insofar as they tend to promote happiness, bad as they tend to produce unhappiness. The utility or usefulness of an action is determined by the extent to which it promotes happiness rather than its reverse"-The principle of utility formulated by Mill
• MORAL ISSUES


  There are numerous ethical issues in the field of medicine that are perceivedto be controversial.-ABORTION-EUTHANASIA-GENETIC ENGINEERING
• Abortion


  is considered illegal in the Philippines. Article II, Section 12 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that:The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.Abortion can be direct, induced, or even caused by natural cases or accidents.
• For anti-abortion groups


  Abortion is the ultimate violation of life for it is the act of killing an individual that is not yet able to speak for himself or herself.
• For those who support abortion


  They believe that pregnant women, especially victims of rape, should be given the chance to decide for themselves.EUTHANASIA (MERCY KILLING)
• Euthanasia


  is the practice of ending a life intentionally, usually in situations when the individual is terminally ill, to relieve him or her of pain and suffering.It is also known as mercy killing, euthanasia is regardrd as a merciful release of an individual from an incurable sickness.
• Herbert Hendin (2004)


  also describes euthanasia as the process of inducing the painless death of a person who is severely debilitated for reasons assumed to be merciful, either through voluntary, non-voluntary or involuntary means.
• Voluntary euthanasia


  - is when an individual gives consent to subject himself or herself to a painless death
• Non-voluntary euthanasia


  -on the other hand, is considered when the permission of the patient to perform the process is unavailable, like in the case of patient in a deep comatose, or neonates born with significant and major birth defects.
• Involuntary euthanasia


  - is when the individual does not give his or her consent.
• Genetic engineering


  is a controversial ethical issue because it involves genetic manipulations that are perceived to be against moral standards set by the society.Through genetic engineering, humans are seen to be acting as their own gods because of procedures that enable them tomanipulate the genetic make-up of organinsms
• Genetic Screening


  is a procedure whose main purpose is to screen, choose and select the genes for proper detection of any genetic disease and other chromosomal malformations (Ciabal, 2003). Genetic screening is usally done for the early diagnosis of diseases.
• Genetic interventions


  are techniques such as genetic control, therapy and surgery. According to Ciabal (2003), people can now "intervene" in the biological process and "control" bad or defective genes.
• Stem-cell therapy


  is a form of genetic engineering that makes use of stem cells to treat or prevent diseases. It has been the subject of controversy because of how stem cells are sourced.
• In vitro fertilization (IVF)


  is popularly known as laboratory fertilization.
• Professional ethics


  covers the morally accepted behavior of individuals in the workplace. The code of ethics of a particular profession serves as the guiding principle in the ethical practice of a profession.
• Professionalism


  in the workplace is necesarry in maintaining a healthy and productive work environment. Professional ethics guide individuals in dealing with issues and conflicts in the workplace in order for them to remain functional.
• Ethics

  is derived from ancient Greek word ethios which means "theory of things" or "way of living". Itis appreciated for the purposes it holds.The theory of things views that the happening ofevents, decisions, and actions is the product of rightful thoughts and deeds.
• ethique


  Ethics is also derived from the old French word______, Late Latin ethica which means "of or formorals, moral or expressing character," and Modern Latin mores which means "customs".
• Rule 1.1.


  A registered medical technologist must render laboratory services competently.
• Rule 1.2


  A registered medical technologist must engage in only those aspects of the professions that are within the scope of his/her professional practice and competence, considering his/her level of education, training and experience.
• Rule 1.3


  A registered medical technologist must not defraud or engage in any scheme
• Rule 2.1


  A registered medical technologist must fervently take his/her responsibility to achieve and maintain the highest level of professional competence and performance
• Rule 2.2


  A registered medical technologist must uphold the dignity and autonomy of the profession, maintain harmonious intra-professional and inter-professional relationships, and accept the professions' self-imposed standards.
• PRINCIPLE OF CODE ETHICS 3


  A registered medical technologist must adopt the ethical value of fairness with fellow medical technologists in the delivery of laboratory services
• Rule 3.1


  A registered medical technologist must not participate in professional activities that constitute a conflict of interest.
• Rule 3.2


  A registered medical technologist must refer those served professionally solely on the basis of the interest of those being referred and not on any personal interest, financial or otherwise.