Final answer:
Standards that determine if a healthcare worker's actions are right or wrong are known as ethical standards, which are informed by moral theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics, as well as professional ethical guidelines.
Step-by-step explanation:
Standards concerned with whether a healthcare worker's actions are right or wrong are called ethical standards. These standards are grounded in moral frameworks which guide the decision-making process within healthcare. Within the context of healthcare and medicine, ethical standards are formed through the consideration of different moral theories, including consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics, as well as established codes of ethics provided by professional organizations.
Consequentialism evaluates the morality of an action based on the outcomes or consequences it produces, aiming for the greatest good. Deontology weighs actions against a set of rules or duties, considering an action moral if it adheres to these rules. Meanwhile, virtue ethics focuses on the character of the individual, advocating for actions that reflect moral virtues such as compassion and responsibility.
Specific ethical guidelines, like those provided by the IEEE-CS for software engineers, outline the responsibilities of professionals and ensure that their actions are aligned with both societal norms and ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. In all cases, whether dealing with biomedical research, clinical practice or emerging technologies, ethical standards serve to maintain public trust, ensure the dignity of individuals, and uphold the integrity of the profession.