Write a reflection paper on why the study
of philosophy and ethics is important to those who work in health care, specfically nurses.
Trying to understand the thoughts of philosophers through their writings can be a daunting task. During this
course, you came to understand only brief points about ethics that key philosophers made. The main purpose of this course was to introduce you to the important ethics theories of utilitarianism (teleology), Kantian ethics
(deontology), and virtue ethics. The role that each of these takes when sorting out an ethical dilemma is
dependent upon the individuals working together who must choose an appropriate course of action. As
mentioned frequently during the course, ethics often operates in the gray area – where the border between
right and wrong is blurred. This is particularly evident in health care ethics where controversial issues or
intractable problems arise.
