Abstract
Abstract
From a historical perspective, bioethical issues have been debated since ancient times. In the past century, interest was rekindled when public attention focused on the role of human subjects in biomedical experiments and other atrocities during the Nazi regime of World War II. However, bioethics as practiced today emerged as an academic discipline in the 1960s. This occurred largely because of debate around technological advances which became available faster than decisions about the use of such technology. This is true in the field of healthcare, as little has prepared nurses for this emerging technology. One thing we know for sure is the confusing nature of ethics. For the bariatric nurse, the reason why making moral decisions in the workplace is so difficult is that professional ethics is not simply an extension of one's personal ethics. Just being a good person is not really enough to confront the conflicts that arise in today's healthcare setting. Ethical principles are presented using a case study approach.
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