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Ethics in patient care
Ethical dilemmas in health care settings
Ethics in patient care
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Healthcare Assignment
Religious beliefs can at times act like a barrier to giving a patient medical treatment. In a developing country like Pakistan we see individuals refusing to get vaccinated for Polio because they feel it is not in the realm set by their religion. For the matter of this case, the patient is a Jehovah Witness and was, against her will, transfused with blood. The doctors felt that this was necessary and in her best interest. The girl, however, faces the trauma of being forced to take a medical course of action that she strongly believes against.
In this case there are six major parties involved: the girl, the doctors, child protective services, her parents, the government and the judiciary. Canadian laws give an individual the right to freedom under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This also includes choosing their own course of medical treatment. Canadian laws also laws in place ensuring the safety of a minor, one of which is the Child and Family Services Act.
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Her argument is based on the fact that her religious beliefs should have been respected and another course of medical action should have been taken. We should also take into account the doctor who made the decision. I believe that doctors should have the right to decide a treatment strategy that they feel is best suited for a patient. If doctors are pressurized, we ourselves put the patient at risk. In this case the patient in question was a minor and not deemed mature enough to make the decision. The doctor too has taken an oath to do all they can to help the
Paganism is a belief system that holds to the ideology of the existence of gods and goddesses, which the Pagans believe affect and interact with one?s daily life. Most pagans hold to a polytheistic view of theology. Some pagans choose to worship a pantheon of deities, while other seek to have a more intimate and personal relationship with only one of their gods. They hold to the view that their gods embody certain attributes such as strength, love and intellect. Some modern Pagans define their spiritual beliefs and practices as being ?Earth-based.? You will often hear the
Josh Hardy of Virginia struggled with health issues throughout his young life. After his most recent bone marrow transplant in January 2014, he was unable to recover and lay hospitalized with an adenovirus. The rare experimental medicine is not available in hospitals like St. Jude which he is in. The life-saving medication is only carried by a specialized company called Chimerix. The drug Brincidofovir has not yet been released by the Food and Drug Administration to the public yet. Chimerix previously had a “compassionate care” program that enabled those in medical need to request Brincidofovir and they were granted with the drug, however Chimerix recently strayed away from this program and sought to take time and work on the development and advancement for the drug to be made publicly available. It will not be until approximately the year 2016 that the drug will be released on the market. The issue remains that a life threatening issue like Josh’s cannot wait two more years. Chimerix’s initial and later actions are key factors in determining whether the company follows the Benedictine faith, keeping their values correctly aligned in the light of Christian values. Chimerix’s was able to display the Benedictine principles in their company when they decided to grant Josh with the experimental drug, but their initial decision corrupted the morality of the company.
...s driven by non-maleficence, or the intent to “do no harm”. They know that withholding treatment for religious beliefs will potentially be fatal to both. While Maria is acting out of loyalty to her religious beliefs, the medical staff is acting out of loyalty to the patient’s well being and that of her unborn child. It would be unfair if no party were acting on behalf of that child. In conclusion, providers in this case must pursue every option in delivering life saving treatment for this child. This may involve legal action. If it were just Maria providers may attempt to influence her decision, but ultimately it would be up to her to refuse suggested treatment. Since her decision affects the life of the baby providers are called upon to save that child .
Christian Church's Influence on the Medical Progress The Christian Church was very powerful and had influence on many things which you wouldn't imagine they would have, one being medicine. The Church mainly hindered medical progress but we will see how it did and see if it helped medicine in any ways. When it came to developing new medical ideas the Church hindered its progression. An example of this is when Roger Bacon, a 13th century priest, was imprisoned for heresy after he suggested that there should be a new approach to medicine and original research should be thought of instead of using old ideas such as Galen's.
At first, I believed that a patient should have the say so and get what they demand. I didn’t feel sympathetic for the health care provider one bit. I was able to look through the eyes of a physician and see the trials that they have to go through. It is not easy making the decisions that they have to make. There job is based on decisions, and most of it is the patient’s. “There will certainly be times when I will be faced with a request from a patient or patient’s representative that I will personally find morally difficult, but one that is still legally and ethically acceptable. must be very difficult to work in an area with little control over what you want to do.” (Bradley 1). Even though I do not fully understand a health care providers everyday role, I do know that they are faced with painful options. I personally feel that I can not work in this field for that exact reason. Health care providers play an extremely important role in our society, and others need to look upon
The case study reviewed is about a competent 14 year old Canadian boy who has bone cancer and has refused further chemotherapy treatment. His parents are Christians and agree to his wishes, they decide to seek alternative therapy. The health care team disagreed and the case went to court. The court case ended when the physician found out the cancer had spread and there was nothing more that could be done.
On the 1950’s, the above statement drove the medical field insane, many doctors used to forced blood transfusion on Jehovah’s Witness and other doctors refused to provide treatment to those who refuse blood transfusion; even in a life threatening situation. For some time, doctors were put on a bad position, they faced a dilemma when caring for a Jehovah’s Witness patient because if a patient (Jehovah’s Witness) was not treated promptly must likely he/she would die, but if they were threated against his or her wishes with blood transfusions, the doctor was charged with “Assault”. As the time went-on, the blood transfusion topic became more controversial, mainly due to the increase number on cases of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) acquired when used contaminated blood. The Scientifics, along with the medical field were forced to work together with Jehovah’s Witness in order to develo...
Patients are ultimately responsible for their own health and wellbeing and should be held responsible for the consequences of their decisions and actions. All people have the right to refuse treatment even where refusal may result in harm to themselves or in their own death and providers are legally bound to respect their decision. If patients cannot decide for themselves, but have previously decided to refuse treatment while still competent, their decision is legally binding. Where a patient's views are not known, the doctor has a responsibility to make a decision, but should consult other healthcare professionals and people close to the patient.
The scene at issue in my mind right now is one where a fourteen-year-old girl comes to the orphanage which is the setting for part of the movie. This girl came to the orphanage because it was known in the region as a place that performed abortions. She had had a crude abortion performed in such a way that she had been severely injured (her uterus was punctured by a crochet hook, and, not being a sterile instrument, this caused an infection of the uterine lining, eventually killing her). The resident doctor is disgusted by this, and uses the girl's injury as an example explaining why he performs abortions. The doctor's argument is fairly simple. If the girl had come to him, rather than the ignorant abortionist she chose, she would likely have survived. In addition, he claims that potential parents have a right to choose to be parents or to not be parents. The doctor, a seeming proponent of utilitarianism, says that this demonstrates a duty to perform abortions.
As a mother I could not imagine having my son taken away from me. When Child Protective Services took Lia away, I was devastated because I know that psychologically this can affect both Lia’s parents, and Lia herself. On the other hand, I feel that maybe Lia can potentially start receiving the care that she needs to manage treatments that are available to her. So I strongly believe that it was the right decision. I think that everyone involved in Lia’s treatment team have been patient enough in providing the necessary education. I am a strong believer in culturally based regimes that may help one to heal. As a nurse participating in Lia’s care, I would not try to deter Lia’s parents from their beliefs, I would instead be more interested in helping them come up with a treatment plan that
Throughout health care it is crucial to understand different religions and their belief. By understanding the difference members of various religions will feel a respected and valued. In additions, religious members could receive any special accommodations without having to feel different from any other individual. Two religions that commonly have issues with being provide the proper health care people within the Muslim faith and Jewish faith. One major issue between these faiths is type of food they are required to eat. Another major issue within these faiths is how the deal with death. In addition, these religions have similar beliefs with the issues that they want to be treated by the same gender. Although these faiths may have different beliefs and values they do share similar health care issues.
In healthcare organizations, medical staff must conform to their hospital and their country’s code of conduct. Not only do they have to meet set standards, they must also take their patient into consideration. When making a decision upon a patient, medical staff must recognize religious backgrounds and spiritual beliefs. By understanding a patients’ beliefs and their belief system, a medical worker can give the patient their deserved medical assistance without overstepping boundaries or coming off as offensive. The practices and beliefs of four religions will be articulated throughout this essay to fully understand how religion can either help or hinder the healing process.
Religion is a significant aspect of culture that must be understood and respected. Through understanding the differences in peoples cultures, a nurse who is tending to a patient who’s beliefs differ from his or her own can appropriately adjust care to respect the patient’s beliefs and
...rity over a patient, since it is the patient who is directly affected by any course of treatment taken, the final decision should remain in the hands of the patient. The risk of losing patient autonomy by allowing doctors a free hand with what they think is the correct treatment seems to be too high. The patient should have the right to accept or reject any course of treatment so long as that decision is made with informed consent. Thus it would be ethically incorrect for Dr. Lowell to try and coerce her patient into following her recommended treatment. However, I think that Dr. Lowell would not be morally incorrect in trying to explain to Mrs. Jackson about the details of the treatment. Perhaps Mrs. Jackson has a fear of losing her hair during chemotherapy and Dr. Lowell could explain to her that hair loss does not occur inevitably with chemotherapy but varies person to person. Maybe if Mrs. Jackson knew more about what the treatment entails she might change her mind about it.
The 14 year old boy needed a blood transfusion but he did not want to receive one because of religious reasons. Dennis was a Jehovah`s witness and he believed that if he received a blood transfusion that it would make him unholy and unworthy. This case is one of few that a judge has approved for a child to deny medical treatment. ¨I don't believe Dennis` decision is the result of any coercion. He is mature and understands the consequences of his decision,¨ the judge said during the hearing.¨ (CBS News, 2007) The judge believed that Dennis was mature enough and that he understood the consequences of his decision. Dennis then refused the blood transfusion and unfortunately passed away after making this