Of course, we do not always agree about things in society, and it may be difficult for us to arrive at a consensus on particular topics, but morality refers to those things in which we can share some values. Culture, religion, or family background will influence our sense of morality. We should also remember that our norms regarding morality can change over time. Think of how we have changed in our beliefs and treatment regarding women and persons of color during the last century. Because there are many different cultural influences in our society and because of the variations in beliefs, those who work in health care should be aware and sensitive to the beliefs of others, especially our patients.
Ethics is a systematic way of looking at morality.
Basically, ethics is defined as choosing the right or wrong action. It is not a goal of this course to tell you exactly what decisions you should make in specific situations, for that would be impossible. Every patient, situation, and dilemma involve variables that must be considered individually. You may think that since you are a moral and ethical person that you do not need to study ethics, but we study ethics so that we may be better prepared to make decisions about difficult situations that we encounter in the health care environment. Studying ethics should help you make decisions based on analysis and reflection rather than on an emotional response.