Introduction
Nursing is a healthcare specialty dedicated to assisting individuals, families, and societies in achieving, maintaining, or regaining maximum health and quality of life. Since nurses’ practice is primarily focused on patients, nursing ethics provides a framework to support them in ensuring the safety of patients and other healthcare professionals. In terms of resolving ethical issues and recognizing the problem of freedom of choice, it is possible to examine the social theories of moral idealism and utilitarianism.
Forced Moralization as an Ethical Health Promotion-Related Issue
Considering an ethical health promotion-related issue, it is possible to emphasize the problem of forced moralization. This notion can be described as an intervention that attempts to impact people’s freedom of choice. Since the behavioral shift, encouraging healthy choices through informational and instructional campaigns has focused on health-promoting behavior change (Brown, 2018). Governmental regulations can limit or eliminate choice by controlling the sale of goods or the permissibility of the behavior itself (Brown, 2018). This includes tighter restrictions on cigarette and alcohol sales, the removal of trans fats from processed foods, and the prohibition of smoking in public areas (Brown, 2018). These regulations are commonly referred to as coercive since they restrict individuals’ freedom of choice while impending legal consequences if they do not comply (Brown, 2018). Therefore, the ethical issue is related to the emergence of obligations and prohibitions connected to healthier initiatives but can contradict the personal ability to select a preferable option.
Healthcare professionals should play a crucial role in resolving various ethical issues. The International Council of Nurses elaborated a set of norms and rules designed to guide specialists’ behavior. The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses declares nurses’ and nursing students’ ethical principles, obligations, and professional accountability that outlines and directs ethical conduct in various positions (International Council of Nurses, 2021). Respect for human rights, including constitutional guarantees, the right to freedom and choice, decency, and the ability to be treated kindly, are fundamental concepts in nursing (International Council of Nurses, 2021). Nurses should initially recognize the freedom of choice as one of the basic values of interacting with individuals. Consequently, it can be stated that the right to choose is a serious ethical dilemma in nursing that requires resolving approaches.
What concerns specific theories that can be applied in order to abolish the ethical issue, it is feasible to highlight several ethical decision-making principles. These concepts, which can be related to the sphere of nursing, include moral idealism and utilitarianism. The moral idealism definition assumes a clear contrast between good and evil, acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Utilitarianism emphasizes the conclusion, outcomes, or consequences and has no strict line between what is good and what is wrong. In this case, it is possible to refer to the moral idealism principle in a manner that describes healthcare initiatives as an exceptional obligation with no potential deviation. Considering utilitarianism, nurses can apply it in extremely controversial situations that require entirely individual attitudes and behavior.
Conclusion
In conclusion, considering an ethical health promotion-related issue, it is possible to emphasize the problem of forced moralization and freedom of choice. The ethical issue is related to the emergence of obligations and prohibitions connected to healthier initiatives but can contradict the personal ability to select a preferable option. Nurses should initially recognize the freedom of choice as one of the basic values in terms of interacting with individuals. What concerns specific theories that can be applied in order to abolish the ethical issue, it is feasible to highlight several ethical decision-making principles, including moral idealism and utilitarianism.
References
Brown, R. C. (2018). Resisting moralization in health promotion. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 21(4), 997-1011. Web.
International Council of Nurses. (2021). The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses. Web.