A nurse in a Catholic hospital discourages patients from using contraceptives per hospital policy. Which category of ethics is the nurse following?

• A. Organizational Ethics
• B. Societal Ethics
• C. Research Ethics
• D. Professional Ethics

Answer: (A)

Understanding ethics at different levels helps explain this. Organizational ethics govern the policies, mission, and cultural values of the healthcare institution. When a nurse follows a hospital policy—even if it limits options for individual patients—the action aligns with organizational ethics because the policy reflects the hospital's chosen stance and standards. The other categories don’t fit as well: societal ethics relate to the wider community’s norms and laws, not a single hospital policy; research ethics concern the protection of research participants; professional ethics describe the nurse’s duties under the nursing profession’s own code, which would emphasize patient autonomy and evidence-based care and could require advocacy if policies conflict with those duties. In this scenario, the nurse is acting in line with the organization’s rules, so organizational ethics is the best match.