Claim rights, sometimes called second generation rights, are a subject of legislative proposals and action as our society engages in the ongoing process of deciding how to meet the needs of those who are underserved, for example, by the health care system. Human rights are basically held by individuals, although groups may hold and assert rights when there is a collective interest in achieving particular goals. When nursing care is viewed as a kind of commodity or resource, it must be distributed fairly and equitably to meet the needs of a population group. Achieving fairness and equity in the distribution of nursing services is the continuing challenge of the professional association and one that often requires that nurses act as advocates for patients. In addition, nurses engage in a variety of activities that have the potential of impinging on the rights of other human beings.
Some nurses participate as investigators in organized research using animal or human subjects.
Other nurses are employed in work settings in which clinical medical and health activities and technical procedures have moved into the domain of the unusual or the extraordinary. The majority of nurses continue to perform activities that are usual and expected, according to the norms of accepted practice. The principle of justice is a key point at which issues of ethics and human rights intersect. Justice entails treating others fairly and equitably. When we perceive that someone has been treated unfairly, we often say that an issue of ethics is involved.