IMPLICATIONS OF TOM BEAUCHAMPAND JAMES CHILDRESS MEDICAL ETHICS ON THE ATTITUDES OFTHE MIDWIVES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Tom L. Beauchamp and James F. Childress were ethical theorists. They set out what they considered the four basic principles of Biomedical Ethics for the improvement of healthcare services among health workers. According to these philosophers the basic principle of biomedical ethics include; autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and justice. They indicated that these principles are the cornerstones of ethical decision-making in healthcare delivery and underscore human rights, particularly with respect to patient care. However, in Nigeria, the practical application of these principles in labour wards among midwives have become a herculean tax. Midwives face ethical dilemmas in their clinical practice, where their decisions significantly affect the well-being of mothers and infants. This is rooted in the systemic, cultural, and professional factors. These challenges often lead to a divergence between theoretical ethical standards and clinical reality, characterized by resource scarcity, hierarchical power structures, and a preference for paternalistic care.