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Updated: Jun 27, 2026
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A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
Published on: November 9, 2016
Virtue in emergency medicine
Gregory Luke Larkin1, Kenneth Iserson, Zach Kassutto
1Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Ethics Committee, Lansing, MI, USA. gluke.larkin@yale.edu
Summary
Emergency physicians (EPs) can uphold medical integrity by adopting a virtue-based ethic. This approach emphasizes patient humanity and professional standards, offering 10 core virtues for EPs to strive towards.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Emergency Medicine
- Professionalism
Background:
- The integrity of the medical profession faces challenges.
- Emergency physicians (EPs) are uniquely positioned to reaffirm professional commitment.
- A virtue-based ethic offers an alternative to strict legalistic rule-following.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a virtue-based ethical framework for emergency physicians.
- To identify and describe core virtues essential for modern emergency medicine practice.
- To reaffirm the commitment of EPs to patients and the profession.
Main Methods:
- Review of historical and modern ethical concepts in medicine.
- Identification of 10 core virtues relevant to emergency physicians.
- Discussion of how these virtues uphold professional standards and patient trust.
Main Results:
- Ten core virtues for EPs were identified: prudence, courage, temperance, justice, unconditional positive regard, charity, compassion, trustworthiness, vigilance, and agility.
- These virtues transcend legalistic approaches, focusing on patient humanity and professional ideals.
- The adoption of these virtues can enhance the honor, trust, and integrity of the emergency medicine specialty.
Conclusions:
- A virtue-based ethic provides a robust framework for emergency physicians.
- Embracing these 10 virtues can strengthen the physician-patient relationship and professional integrity.
- This ethical approach is crucial for maintaining public trust in emergency medicine.
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