Being a doctor is one of the most ancient professions, essential and sometimes heroic. Doctors are responsible for the life and physical health of their patients and their moral state. Medical knowledge alone is not enough to perform their duties efficiently, so doctors need to follow specific rules and norms of communication with the patient. Medical ethics is a vital part of doctors’ professional conduct. It consists of ethical standards, as well as the duties of medical workers. Every doctor should observe medical ethics, and a patient who behaves like a human being helps the doctor and invests in his health.
Indeed, every medical worker, in addition to professional knowledge, should have such qualities as respect for the patient and a desire to help. It is crucial to hear words of support from close people and the attending physician (Laurie & Dove, 2019). It is required for the patient to be listened to, know that he is respected and not judged, and receive access to information. Any medical worker should have empathy, kindness, sensitivity, responsiveness, caring, and an attentive attitude to the patient.
Compared to the ethical norms of people of other professions, the most important feature that characterizes professional ethics is the expression of such human qualities as morality and justice. Following the scientifically based principles of medical ethics and possessing the abovementioned qualities, a medical worker will be as correctly oriented as possible in his professional activity (Rhodes, 2020). The Code of Ethics provides clear moral guidelines for the professional activities of medical personnel. It is designed to promote consolidation and increase the medical profession’s prestige and authority in society. The medical worker should ensure the patient’s calm behavior and relieve possible discomfort. Thus, compliance with medical ethics is crucial in the professional activity of a medical worker, and this is their moral duty to the patient.
References
Laurie, G. H., & Dove, E. (2019). Mason and McCall Smith’s law and medical ethics. Oxford University Press.
Rhodes, R. (2020). Medical Ethics: Common or Uncommon Morality?. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 29(3), 404-420. doi:10.1017/S0963180120000146