HLT 520 Week 1 Ethical Study Review Assignment

HLT 520 Week 1 Ethical Study Review Assignment

 

HLT 520 Week 1 Ethical Study Review Latest-GCU

Details:

Scenario: A 96-year-old male patient is admitted to the ICU with terminal liver cancer. He is confused and disoriented, very skinny and appears underfed, and is covered with bruises, which are common in patients with liver disorders. His daughter, who is a naturopathic physician, insists that she can cure her father by administering unknown substances, some of which smell like feces and look like tar, down his NG tube. He is clearly in pain after she does this. She insists that these are life-saving interventions on her part, but the nursing and physician staff caring for the patient are very upset and concerned that she is hastening his death. They have come to you for help.

1) Write a paper (1,250-1,500 words) that describes how to use the method of ethical decision making, reviewed in the module, to help resolve this ethical dilemma. Address the following to generate your conclusions about how you would proceed:

  1. a) What are the dimensions of the ethical dilemma?
  2. b) What are the issues?
  3. c) Apply the four core ethical principles and the process of ethical decision making.

 

2) Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

3) This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.

HLT 520 Week 1 Discussion 1

A patient is in a coma that appears irreversible. His mother, who is his surrogate, firmly believes that he will recover and that God is taking a hand to work a miracle if everyone will just wait long enough. She wants everything done for the patient, including resuscitation if he arrests. She insists that he stay in the hospital, and is very upset that he was transferred out of the ICU and his care was moved to comfort measures, rather than aggressive treatment. The mother does not speak English and is strong in her religious beliefs. The physicians for the patient are very upset and concerned about continuing to provide care that they believe is futile. The patient is developing a serious pneumonia, and the mother wants it treated aggressively. The physicians are reluctant. Analyze this case from the ethical principles of justice, benevolence, non-malfeasance, and autonomy.

 

ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

The four core ethical principles and the process of ethical decision making.

Introduction

As a human being, you have the right to make choices that are ethical. The four core ethical principles (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice) provide us with a framework for thinking about how we can live our lives in ways that are consistent with these values.

1. Autonomy

The first principle is autonomy. This principle states that individuals have the right to make their own decisions and be free from coercion, interference, manipulation or oppression in order to do so.

In order for an individual to exercise their autonomy they must be able to:

  • Decide what they want by themselves without being influenced or manipulated by anyone else (the right of self-determination)

  • Have access to information about how things work so they can make informed decisions (the right of access)

Autonomy is also connected with other rights like privacy and bodily integrity. For example if someone were denied their freedom because they were forcibly restrained then this would violate their autonomy rights because it prevents them from exercising those rights as well as other related ones like having full control over their body or being able to speak freely without fear of retaliation by others present at the time such as police officers who may not understand these concepts fully themselves but could still act upon them nonetheless leading up toward more negative outcomes down the road once these issues are left unresolved due lack communication between parties involved

2. Beneficence

Beneficence is the principle of doing good. It is a duty to act in the interest of others and to prevent harm, but it also requires that you make an effort to help them. In terms of decision making, this means that if there are two equally good options available, you should choose the option which will benefit most people (i.e., those who depend on your actions).

Beneficence also refers to your responsibilities as an individual or group member: if your actions cause harm then this amounts to acting immorally; if they don’t cause any harm then this might be considered unethical depending on context.

3. Non-Maleficence

  • Do no harm.

  • A doctor should not cause harm to the patient, either physically or mentally.

  • Doctors should not do anything that will make their patients worse, even if it’s for their own good, such as cutting off a limb to remove cancer.

4. Justice

Justice is the principle that everyone should get what they deserve. It’s also the principle of fairness and impartiality, which means that all people should be treated equally regardless of their personal characteristics or circumstances.

Justice is not only an ethical principle; it’s also a legal one. Justice refers to a fair trial process where every person has an opportunity to present their case in front of an impartial jury or judge who listens with respect for each individual’s background and experiences before reaching a decision (or verdict).

Takeaway:

You should take away the following:

  • The four core ethical principles.

  • The process of ethical decision making.

  • The three types of ethical decision making.

Conclusion

The four core ethical principles and the process of ethical decision making are summarized in this blog post.


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