From the Viewpoint of a Physician(Symposium Medicine and Nursing)

Abstract

Three main ethical issues were introduced and discussed. They were: 1. "Unethicalities" latent in medical practice and nursing-Things not generally permitted in society are from time to time permitted in the world of medical practice and nursing. Things which are vilified or proscribed as unethical acts in the rest of society are permitted in the name of " care and cure", and if one were to list them they would appear as follows. (1) Secrets of others cannot help but be learned. Facts which the patient and his/her family would like to keep secret must be clearly written down, preserved in records, and reported upon. (2) The bodies of others are touched and observed. (3) Necessity compels injuries to the skin, veins, and organs of others. (4) The cells/tissues and body fluids of others must be collected and examined. (5) Substances and energies which humans normally do neither ingest nor are exposed to must be imparted to the bodies of others for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment (6) Foreign objects such as suture materials and medico-chemicals are left within the human body. (7) Experimental acts must be performed not only on animals but also occasionally on humans. 2. Minimum ethical requirements in nursing and care 3. Ethical dilemmas in nursing and care with special reference to the future of the nurse-client relationship, nurse-nurse relationship and nurse-physician relationship.