Values and Ethics for Care Practice

Values and Ethics for Care Practice introduces readers to values and ethics and their importance in patient-centred care. Values and ethics are integral to the provision, practice and delivery of patient-centred health and social care. This book, which is an expanded and updated version of Values for Care Practice, introduces readers to these concepts and helps them understand how they can apply them to become compassionate care professionals. The patient perspective and patient voice are seen and heard throughout the book. Readers are encouraged to reflect on their personal values and on those underpinning health and social care work and to understand how values and ethics are articulated in the latest Codes of Practice.  The text uses activities and case studies to enable readers to apply theory in their practice. This book will help readers to understand why good caring is more than merely a practical intervention; it also requires a personal investment and quality of character that involves genuine concern and respect for others.

Table of Contents:
About the authors; Prologue: Anne's story 1. Introduction to values for care practice      1.1 Introducing values and care      1.2 What are values?      1.3 Where do our values and beliefs come from?      1.4 The relationship between personal and professional values      1.5 Institutional and organisational values      1.6 Professional bodies and codes of conduct      1.7 Conclusion 2. Introduction to ethics for care practice      2.1 What are morals and ethics?      2.2 Ethical theories and principles      2.3 The role of ethics      2.4 Conclusion 3. Compassion and care      3.1 Introduction      3.2 Caring as a virtue      3.3 Virtuous caring      3.4 Compassion in care policy      3.5 Defining compassion      3.6 The virtue of compassion      3.7 Compassionate care      3.8 The experience of compassionate care      3.9 A culture of compassionate care      3.10 Conclusion 4. Rights, equality and anti-discriminatory practice      4.1 Introduction      4.2 What are rights?      4.3 Different kinds of rights      4.4 Limitations on rights      4.5 Celebrating difference      4.6 Understanding equality, prejudice and discrimination      4.7 Why do discrimination and prejudice continue to exist in care?      4.8 Engaging in anti-discriminatory practice      4.9 A rights-based approach to care      4.10 Conclusion 5. Respect and dignity      5.1 Introduction      5.2 What do we mean when we use the terms 'respect' and 'respect for persons'?      5.3 The moral duty of respect for persons      5.4 The moral value of dignity      5.5 Respect, dignity and privacy in practice      5.6 Conclusion 6. Autonomy and the principle of respect for autonomy      6.1 Introduction      6.2 Defining autonomy      6.3 Formal definitions and key components of autonomy      6.4 Necessary conditions to be autonomous      6.5 Capacity and competence      6.6 A duty of respect for autonomy      6.7 Informed consent      6.8 An alternative view autonomy - relational autonomy      6.9 Conclusion 7. Trust, confidentiality and truth-telling      7.1 Introduction      7.2 What are trust and trustworthiness?      7.3 Different types of trust      7.4 Moral responsibility and trustworthiness      7.5 Confidentiality and truth-telling      7.6 The value of honesty and truth-telling      7.7 Conclusion 8. Protection from harm and promoting independence      8.1 Introduction      8.2 What is risk and do we need to be protected from it?      8.3 Risk assessment      8.4 Predicting risk      8.5 Assessing risk in practice      8.6 Risk management and protection from harm      8.7 Conclusion 9. Values, accountability and responsibility      9.1 Introduction      9.2 Responsibility and accountability in practice      9.3 Leadership in care      9.4 Responsibility and the employer      9.5 Organisational responsibility and accountability      9.6 Responsibility for the manner in which care is provided      9.7 Professional accountability and codes of practice      9.8 Maintaining records      9.9 Conclusion 10. Conclusion: value-based reflection      10.1 The role of values      10.2 Compassion and care      10.3 Rights, equality and anti-discriminatory practice      10.4 Respect, dignity and autonomy      10.5 Trust, confidentiality and truth-telling      10.6 Protection from harm and promoting independence      10.7 Values, accountability and responsibility      10.6 Protection from harm and promoting independence      10.7 Where to next?      10.8 Values-led reflection References; Index

About the Author :
Dr Jan Quallington qualified as a RGN (Adult) and undertook specialist education in cardiothoracic nursing. Her clinical practice was in acute medicine, coronary care and intensive care. After moving into education in a university setting Jan studied for an MA in Medical Ethics and Law and gained a Doctorate in Medical Ethics from Keele University. She undertook a number of roles in higher education and led a large multiprofessional team to deliver a wide range of health and social care education in partnership with health and social care providers and service users. Jan writes on ethical reflection and leadership in health and social care. She was most recently Head of the Institute of Health and Society at the University of Worcester before her retirement from healthcare education in 2019.

Review :
‘This is a valuable text which encourages students to examine their personal values at a time when they are developing professional values and identity. I think students will revisit this text throughout their programme. It is a complex theoretical concept which is interwoven with health care practice in a way that students can grasp. I particularly like the activities and reflections.’ Lecturer, University of Plymouth ‘An accessible book for all students especially pre-registration students. A well organised book with lots of very useful activities that can be carried out in class or on one’s own. A very useful resource when delivering classes looking at ethical issues in the health care environment.’ Lecturer, University of the West of England ‘The book is well written in terms that are understandable to a range of practitioners at differing levels and focuses on core values. The use of reflection and exercises helps the student (and the lecturer) contextualise the sometimes abstract into reality and practice.’ Lecturer, Bangor University ‘I really liked this book – the layout, exercises, etc are useful and provide students with opportunities to expand knowledge base and reflect upon what they have read in relation to practice. The concepts covered are essential for clinical practice and in particular autonomy, independence, respect, trust are key themes for the module I run for pre-registration nursing (client focussed care). Overall the text is coherent, well written and well referenced. Students will like it as it is easy to understand yet nevertheless sufficiently academic.’ Senior Lecturer, De Montfort University