Posted by Jonathan Hollander on January 21, 1998 at 23:34:38:
1. Nursing as a profession has as its center the quality of human life. In contributing to the quality of life, it has two general spheres of activity: society, and the life of the individual. Socially, the nurse acts as citizen and as professional. For the individual client, the nurse acts as a professional who brings an array of knowledge, skills, activities and resources to assist the client to define and realize appropriate health care goals.
2. After having read both the older version and the later version of the Hippocratic Oath, some things did certainly changed. For example, the swearing of the oath takes place with the "Almighty" now and not the ancient Gods. I noticed in the B.C. Oath, there was no pledge to keep "abreast of advances in medicine". In the newer version, keeping oneself up-to-date was clearing indicated. Also in the newer version, the oath states that the physician will ask for advice "where indicated for the benefit of my patient." It is possible that the statement in the older version that states, "I will not use the knife....but will withdraw in favor of such mn as are engaged in this work", refers to consulting. That would be an assumption of my part. Again, I did not noticed this in the older version. The statement in the newer version concerning abortion is most interesting. I believe the staement allows a phyisican more latitude because it states "reject abortion that deliberately takes a unique human life". This leaves intrepretation to the physician of what is unique, human and alive. In the older version, it clearly stated that a woman was not to be given "an abortative remedy". Clearly in the older version of the oath, there is no mentioned of "research on any human being". This is specifically spelled out in the new version, stating that a "valid informed consent" is necessary.