Ethics in Healthcare

Ethics in Healthcare is a comprehensive and philosophically rigorous introduction to the ethical dimensions of contemporary healthcare practice. Grounded in the four core principles of biomedical ethics - autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice - the book guides readers through the major ethical theories, moral norms, and character virtues that shape clinical decision-making across nursing, medicine, and allied health.

Drawing on integrated case studies from across the healthcare professions, the text makes abstract ethical principles immediately applicable to the real situations practitioners face. Rather than treating ethics as a set of abstract rules to be memorized, Ethics in Healthcare invites readers into a deeper engagement with the moral dimensions of caring for others - equipping them with the conceptual tools and practical wisdom needed to navigate complex clinical realities with integrity and confidence.

The book addresses the defining moral challenges of twenty-first century healthcare, including dedicated chapters on moral trauma and moral injury - an increasingly urgent concern for frontline healthcare workers - and on the ethics of artificial intelligence in clinical settings. These chapters place Ethics in Healthcare at the forefront of contemporary bioethical discourse, preparing students and practitioners for the ethical terrain of modern medicine.

Enriched throughout by engagement with Jewish, Christian, and Islamic bioethical traditions, the text brings the resources of religious moral thought into dialogue with secular bioethical frameworks, offering readers a richer and more culturally informed perspective on the moral dimensions of healthcare. This integrative approach makes the book especially valuable in diverse academic and clinical environments.

Ethics in Healthcare is suitable for use in undergraduate and graduate courses in nursing, medicine, allied health, bioethics, religious studies, and the philosophy of medicine. It serves equally well as a professional reference for practicing clinicians, ethicists, chaplains, and healthcare administrators who take seriously the moral weight of caring for others.

Key Features

• Grounded in the four principles of biomedical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice
• Integrated case studies from nursing, medicine, and allied health
• Dedicated chapters on moral trauma, moral injury, and AI ethics in clinical settings
• Engagement with Jewish, Christian, and Islamic bioethical traditions
• Suitable for both classroom instruction and professional reference

About the Author

Rodgir Cohen, PsyD, PhD is a lecturer in psychology, bioethics, and religious studies, and Conjoint Research Professor with Avondale University. He teaches at Loma Linda University and California State University, Fullerton. A combat veteran, Dr. Cohen brings to his scholarly work a sustained engagement with the moral demands of service and care. His research focuses on the moral formation of healthcare professionals, the ethics of care at the margins of human life, and the ethical challenges posed by emerging technologies in clinical settings.