an  individual  human  being.  Additionally,  you must be knowledgeable about both the patient’s rights and responsibilities as they apply to the pro- viding  and  receiving  of  health  care  services. The  Joint  Commission  on  Accreditation  of Hospitals (JCAH) has developed standards that address  both  the  rights  and  responsibilities  of  pa- tients. Because the goal of JCAH is the continual promotion of excellence in providing health care services, these goals are compatible with those of the   Navy   Medical   Department.   The   following breakout is a brief summary of some of the ma- jor  rights  and  responsibilities  of  patients  when they enter into a relationship with a health care service  facility.  Students  seeking  additional  infor- mation are referred to the Accreditation  Manual for  Hospitals  that  is  published  by  the  JCAH. .   Patient’s   Rights Access  to  care Respect and dignity Privacy  and  confidentiality Personal  safety Consent Hospital  (facility)  rules  and  regulations .  Patient’s  Responsibilities l  Provision  of  information .  Compliance  with  instructions .    Hospital  (facility)  rules  and  regulations .  Respect  and  consideration The above listing is in no way intended to be all inclusive. It is, however, an introduction that emphasizes the need for the observance of rights and  responsibilities  of  patients  when  they  are engaged  in  a  provider-consumer  relationship. PROFESSIONS  ETHICS The  word  ethics  is  derived  from  the  Greek “ethos” that means custom or practice, a charac- teristic manner of acting, or a more or less con- stant style of behavior in the deliberate actions of people.  When  we  speak  of  ethics,  we  refer  to  a set of rules or a body of principles. Each social, religious,  and  professional  group  has  a  body  of principles  or  standards  of  conduct  that  provide ethical  guidance  to  its  members. During your indoctrination into the military, you  were  introduced  to  the  Code  of  the  U.S. Fighting  Forces.  This  code  of  conduct  is  an  ethical guide that charges you with certain high standards of  general  behavior  as  a  member  of  the  Armed Forces. All professional interactions must be directly related to certain codes of behavior that support the  universal  principles  of  justice,  equality  of human  beings  as  persons,  and  respect  for  the dignity  of  human  beings,  In  chapter  1  of  this manual,  professional  ethics  in  relation  to  your responsibilities  as  a  hospital  corpsman  was  briefly discussed.   Upon   completion   of   basic   Hospital Corps  School,  you  took  the  following  pledge. “I solemnly pledge myself before God and these witnesses to practice faithfully all  of  my  duties  as  a  member  of  the Hospital Corps. I hold the care of the sick and injured to be a privilege and a sacred trust  and  will  assist  the  Medical  Officer with loyalty and honesty. I will not know- ingly permit harm to come to any patient. I  will  not  partake  nor  administer  any unauthorized  medication.  I  will  hold  all personal  matters  pertaining  to  the  private lives  of  patients  in  strict  confidence.  I dedicate my heart, mind, and strength to the work before me. I shall do all within my  power  to  show  in  myself  an  example of   all   that   is   honorable   and   good throughout  my  naval  career.” The Hospital Corpsman Pledge morally binds you to certain responsibilities and rules that are included  in  the  science  of  health  care  ethics. Health care ethics is not unique in the develop- ment  of  methods,  assumptions,  and  principles. Ethics,  whether  they  be  classified  general  or special (e. g., legal or medical), teach us how to judge accurately the moral rightness or wrongness of our actions. The one element that makes health care  ethics  different  from  general  ethics  is  the  in- clusion  of  the  moral  rule  “Do  your  duty.”  This is a moral rule because it involves expectations (e.g.,  confidentiality).  It  involves  what  others  have every  reason  to  believe  will  be  forthcoming.  To fail in fulfilling these expectations of others is to harm  them.  Through  the  Hospital  Corpsman 5-2