Moral Dilemmas In The Health Care Profession

Ethical principles tell us what action to take and want not to take but it doesn’t consider the nature of the moral agent. What is the right thing to do and what is the wrong thing to do? We ask these questions because we face moral dilemmas in our everyday lifestyle. Humans have the capability to reason, but can be tempered by our emotional reactions. Humans also learn from habitual behaviors, societal influences, which develops an individual to become a good character. Health care professional, or physician assistant in my case, face complex and moral dilemmas dealing with certain issues that pertain to the overall well-being of a person, life, and death. Compassion, discernment, integrity, and trustworthiness are some virtues that are considered

A health care professional should have a history of clear judgment and understanding because a discerning person will think rationally about a situation and without being influenced by other personal or political factors. A discerning person will be able to see what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and in what specific way while including ethical considerations. Another imperative ethical character trait a health care worker needs to have is trustworthiness. To do the right thing for the right reasons and at the right time is important when making an ethical decision. The relationship between the caregiver and the patient is crucial in the health care industry. Integrity is another important issue that is based off of the individual’s core values and beliefs. A person that has integrity will, “walk their virtuous talk” (Kurtz and Burr, 2015). A patient will trust a health care worker more when they have integrity because they compromise their ethical principles to make the right decision. These virtues coincide with ethical principles in the health care profession and when they are faced with a moral dilemma, they will know what decision best fits that certain situation at that certain moment. There are three ethical philosophies that are used in the health care industry in the way decisions are