Hippocratic Oath Essay

The Hippocratic oath helps the physicians provide care that is in the patient’s best interest. Although this oath seems helpful in many inconclusive matters, not everyone can find it relatable or find it straightforward in today’s world. Thus, this oath has been revised several times. A significant revision was made by the World Medical Association (WMA) and later it was revised to present a more non-religious concept, both revisions were made in the 1900s (Thompson, 1987). According to Dr. Iqbal (2014), “the field of medicine, specifically healthcare delivery is rapidly changing and the Hippocratic Oath may not be an adequate social contract.” The oath has been modified to keep in tune with the changing world and modern medicine.

The “code of ethics” defined in Ethical Principles for Everyone in Health Care, clarifies and simplifies the Hippocratic oath, with the addition of “do no harm.” It is easy to understand and makes it relatable globally while keeping the changing healthcare system in mind. Both have a common theme of respect, justice and maintaining confidentiality of patient information. Although the Hippocratic oath is given more importance in the U.S., these “code of ethics” can certainly be applied healthcare worldwide, given the fact that healthcare access is
available.

It becomes crucial to understand how much to weigh in the Hippocratic oath into practicing modern medicine.
Should one take it so literally that it defines their practice or should it be more patient centered? Perhaps both go hand-in-hand up to some extent. The oath certainly gives boundaries to physicians to help achieve the optimal decisions and provide care regardless of their personal beliefs. Therefore, it benefits as a binding agreement with a moral framework for problem solving even with the changing healthcare environment and modern medicine. This social contract between physicians and society gives them a sense of commitment and accountability in addition to their job
responsibilities.

According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), "Ethics is an integral part of the foundation of nursing." Code of ethics in nursing entails the ethical obligations of persons entering the nursing field, a nonnegotiable standard and an understanding of the commitment to the society. The International Council of Nursing (ICN) has been a pioneer of developing nursing ethics. Both the ICN and ANA have a common theme of compassionate patient care while alleviating suffering. According to the powerpoint presentation by Dzubur, nursing and other healthcare professions have emphasized the principles of ethics that fall under the caring relationship umbrella such as, right to know, right to privacy, right for adequate care, right for confidentiality, and advocate for patients. Thus, nursing and other healthcare professions contribute to the global healthcare ethic in a manner that shares a common ground with the Hippocratic oath and "code of ethics" by providing respect, justice and beneficence.

References

Butts, J.B. Ethics in Professional Nursing Practice. Retrieved on September 24th, 2014 http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763748986/48986_ch03_pass3.pdf

Code of Ethics. Retrieved on September 24th, 2014. http://www.nursingworld.org/Mobile/Code-of-Ethics

Cruess, R., and Cruess, S. (2013) Updating the Hippocratic oath to include medicine’s social contract. Medical Education; 48(1):95-100.

Dzubur, V. Global EthicsNONPF20111.pptx

Hanlon, C.R. (2001) Ethical principles for everyone in health care. American College of Surgeons; 192(1):72-78.

Iqbal, C. (2014) Is the Hippocratic oath outdated? Retrieved on October 24th, 2014 http://www.aasurg.org/blog/hippocratic-oath-outdated/

Joel, L. (2013). The Kaleidoscope of Collaborative Practice. Advanced practice nursing essentials for role development. (3rd ed., pp. 151-172). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis.

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Sritharan, K., Russell, G., Fritz, Z., Wong, D., Rollin, M., Dunning, J., Morgan, P., and Sheehan, C. (2001) Medical oaths and declaration. BMJ; 323(7327): 1440–1441.

Thompson, I.E. (1987) Fundamental ethical principles in health care. British Medical Journal; 295:1461-1465.