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Ethics in patient care
Essays about ethics in healthcare
Ethics in patient care
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Healthcare creates unique dilemmas that must consider the common good of every patient. Medical professionals, on a frequent basis, face situations that require complicated, and at times, difficult decision-making. The medical matters they decide on are often sensitive and critical in regards to patient needs and care. In the Case of Marguerite M and the Angiogram, the medical team in both cases were faced with the critical question of which patient gets the necessary medical care when resources are limited. In like manner, when one patient receives the appropriate care at the expense of another, medical professionals face the possibility of liability and litigation. These medical circumstances place a burden on the healthcare professionals to think and act in the best interest of the patient while still considering the ethical and legal issues they may confront as a result of their choices and actions. Medical ethics and law are always evolving as rapid advances in all areas of healthcare take place. The case of Marguerite M presents an ethical dilemma. Medical ethics play a special role in medicine and is directly concerned with its practice. Its role has continued to evolve as changes develop in …show more content…
The facts in this case involve 2 patients. Firstly, Marguerite, an 89 year old female who experienced a myocardial infarction and the cause was unknown at the time of admission. Her doctor ordered an angiogram to test for the cause, and based on the results, would plan and provide treatment. On the other hand, Sarah, a 45 year old female, also experienced a massive heart attack, but in her case the emergency room doctors were able to determine the cause and expeditiously planned for treatment. Simultaneously, both patients required an immediate surgical procedure and time was a major consideration due to the nature of their
American Medical Int’l, Inc. According to this theory, individuals’ decisions are guided by what they are supposed to do, not by consequences or effects. That is to say, a person’s action is ethically right if it coincides with a prevailing moral duty (“Deontological Ethics,” 2007). In the dilemma involving the patient Riser, Dr. Lang violated the theory of deontological ethics by not performing his duty of acquiring informed consent from the patient. By standard of conduct, Dr. Lang was supposed to present a consent form to Riser prior to the operation that would explain the procedure of a femoral arteriogram (although it was supposed to be bilateral arteriograms instead) and thoroughly explain the possible benefits and risks of the procedure. As a result, the patient should have the right to decide whether the femoral arteriogram should be performed or not. However, Riser was not aware of the femoral arteriogram at all. Therefore, deontological ethics should have been followed, which would advise Dr. Lang to follow the ethical duties of a healthcare professional, and those include obtaining informed consent from the
Healthcare professionals should always act within their scope of practice and provide quality of care to the public without discrimination or assumptions. In the emergency room, doctors have to make decisions that might affect one patient over another depending on the medical condition of both; but, when the conditions are similar, how do doctors decide who gets to be seeing/ treated first? is it based on prognosis, age or socioeconomic status? What factors should doctors take in consideration to make the “right” decision? In the case of Marguerite M. and the Angiogram, Marguerite, an 89 years old ‘widow’ suffered a massive heart attack and was due to have an angiogram within the first six hours of the heart attack in order for treatment to
Paramedics deemed the patient competent and therefore Ms. Walker had the right to refuse treatment, which held paramedics legally and ethically bound to her decisions. Although negligent actions were identified which may have resulted in a substandard patient treatment, paramedics acted with intent to better the patient despite unforeseen future factors. There is no set structure paramedics can follow in an ethical and legal standpoint thus paramedics must tailor them to every given
Siegler, M., and W. Winslade. "Ethics in Medicine." Clinical Ethics. By A. R. Jonsen. 7th ed. N.p.:
Health Care workers are constantly faced with legal and ethical issues every day during the course of their work. It is important that the health care workers have a clear understanding of these legal and ethical issues that they will face (1). In the case study analysed key legal and ethical issues arise during the initial decision-making of the incident, when the second ambulance crew arrived, throughout the treatment and during the transfer of patient to the hospital. The ethical issues in this case can be described as what the paramedic believes is the right thing to do for the patient and the legal issues control what the law describes that the paramedic should do in this situation (2, 3). It is therefore important that paramedics also
9) Wall, L.L. (2006). The medical ethics of Dr J Marion Sims: a fresh look at the historical record. Journal of Medical Ethics, 32(6), 346-350. doi: 10.1136/jme.2005.012559
Denise Dudzinski, PhD, MTS, Helene Starks, PhD, MPH, Nicole White, MD, MA (2009) ETHICS IN MEDICINE. Retrieved from: http://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/pad.html
Medical ethics in general is not a modern term; it goes back in time to the 12th century to the Hippocratic Oath. Recently in the 21st century the interest in medical ethics was provoked by a series of medical scandals: Nazi medical experiments, the infamous Tuskegee syphilis studies and so on. After which autonomy in the form of an informed consent was obligatory for minor and major procedures. (2, 3)
In this essay the author will rationalize the relevance of professional, ethical and legal regulations in the practice of nursing. The author will discuss and analyze the chosen scenario and critically review the action taken in the expense of the patient and the care workers. In addition, the author will also evaluates the strength and limitations of the scenario in a broader issue with reasonable judgement supported by theories and principles of ethical and legal standards.
In critical and complicating medical cases, family members often find it tedious to decide as to what mode or procedure of treatment is idyllic for the recovery of their patient. In such cases, well-qualified and medically educated can play a pivotal role in deciding the kind of treatment that should be given to the patient to enhance its recovery. In a contrary situation a nurse may know that administering a particular drug may improve the patient’s condition, but may be refrained from conducting the required action due to doctor’s absence or non-permission. There are numerous cases through which ethical dilemmas in the profession of nursing can be discussed. Nurses in order to remain within the defined boundaries ...
In this diverse society we are confronted everyday with so many ethical choices in provision of healthcare for individuals. It becomes very difficult to find a guideline that would include a border perspective which might include individual’s beliefs and preference across the world. Due to these controversies, the four principles in biomedical ethic which includes autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice help us understand and explain which medical practices are ethical and acceptable. These principles are not only used to protect the rights of a patient but also the physician from being violated.
However, we are looking at a case study where patients safety has been compromised, professionalism has been voided, lack of communication, nurses aren’t liable for their work, the duty of care has been breached and lot more issues can be discovered. Which will be incorporated in this paper. Looking at the patient Christopher Hammett
Nelson, James. (1973). Human Medicine: Ethical Perspectives on New Medical Issues. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House.
McGee, Glenn and Arthur L. Caplan. "Medical Ethics." Microsoft® Encarta® 98 Encyclopedia. © 1993-1997: Microsoft Corporation. CD-ROM.
The hospital ethics committee was discussing an urgent case. A donor heart had become available and the heart matches with two candidates, namely Mr X and Ms Y. Mr X has been on the transplant waiting list for over a year. Ms Y has just been placed on the list and could be sustained with medication possibly until another heart became available. The answer seems obvious, give the heart to Mr X. a number of the committee members did not agree with this answer. They saw a problem in Mr Xʹs medical record. Mr X is 64 years, he suffered from a heart condition for years and had 2 angioplasties and 2 bypass operations. Doctors warned Mr X to change his lifestyle after each procedure but he claimed that was too hard.