Ethical Quandaries in Health Care
Ethical quandaries are fairly widespread in health care institutions. Practitioners are forced to choose between two rights or wrongs, especially because the repercussions of both options are nearly identical. In this scenario, the practitioners are split between obeying the patient's wish and the demands of the family. Although though the patient has the right to choose the type of therapy or even refuse it, the family has a role to play if there is a suspicion that the patient is not making an informed decision. It is hence the responsibility of health professionals to make the optimal decision. As such, this paper seeks to illustrate how to utilize the decision-making frameworks to make a sound choice.
Utilizing Decision-Making Frameworks
After convening the committee, it would be paramount to outline the issue at hand and discuss all the available options. The committee will entail the nursing staff representative, family physician, advocates from both sides who are well acclimatized to the health rules and regulations, the facilities top management, and medical experts. Consultations with all these members must result in the best option to avoid the commotions experienced as the family verbally abused the nursing staff. The decision-making process will be based on six fundamental steps. Step one entails identifying the background, i.e., issues that led to the ethical dilemma (American College of Healthcare Executives, 2017). In this case, step one will outline how the patient's will and family requests affected the nurses. Step two entails the identification of the specific ethical issue and the clarifications that must be offered. Step three will call upon all the stakeholders to take into consideration other related moral values as well as organizational principles. The fourth phase will weigh all the available options to make a response. In that regard, all the probable decisions will be considered to establish the most suitable. A recommendation will then be offered in the third step after the evaluation of all the possible solutions. The final step will be to antedate the ethical conflict. By following this systematic approach, members of the committee will provide a stable solution to this dilemma.
The Rights Concept and the Rights Approach
According to the Rights Concept, philosophers implied that a moral action ought to safeguard and respect the moral rights of the affected individuals. Human beings have the right to be treated with dignity as they choose. At stage 4 of bone cancer, the patient is cognizant of the fact that he has little chance of survival due to the severity of the condition. The patient, therefore, has the freedom to choose what should happen. Perhaps the ailment is causing too much pain for him to bear and with limited survival chances, the best option according to him is to stop treatment (Sheila Bonde, 2013). As per the Rights Approach, the nurses have a duty to oblige with these wishes. However, the utilitarian theory affirms that people should choose an option that offers the most good than harm. It is, therefore, hard to establish the same.
The Duty Framework
In this case, the Duty Framework is the most appropriate to apply. The framework typically focuses on the duties and obligations of the practitioners in such a situation. It also takes into consideration the ethical obligations and what the practitioners are entitled to do. Therefore, as the individual in charge of the committee, I would give all the members a chance to give their respective views (Manuel Velasquez, 2009). The family physician will have to provide a basis for his/her decision. In other words, does he/she support the family's stand or the patient's will? The committee needs to be enlightened about all the happenings within the facility and why the nursing staff opted to consent to the patient's will.
Working with the Duty Framework
My basis of argument will be founded on the duty framework since it outlines the moral and duty obligations of the practitioners. The nursing staff aims to provide care as per the wish of the patient if he/she can is cognizant about the decisions. According to this structure, a system of rules and regulations are developed that ought to be contingent to the people's expectations. In that regard, if an activity is ethically acceptable then it applies to everybody in similar situations. As such, everyone is treated equally (Manuel Velasquez, 2009). The Duty Framework also concentrates on adhering to duty and ethical rules irrespective of the results. Therefore, one can act ethically even if results are negative. The individuals work with the sense of responsibility rather than consequences.
The Committee's Decision and Conclusion
Overall, the committee will be guided through the mentioned steps, i.e., background realization up to the recommended response and anticipation of the ethical conflict. During these stages, members will discuss the various ethical theories related to the case from an objective point of view. Nonetheless, the decision will be founded on the Rights Approach and will follow the Duty Framework. According to both these elements, the patient has a right to choose his treatment, while the nursing staff has a duty to adhere to the rules and regulations of the facility. It is all about doing the right thing for the benefit of the affected individual. The committee will hence determine the ability of the patient to make his own sound decision and allow the laws as well as ethical guidelines to take effect.
References
American College of Healthcare Executives. (2017). Ethics Toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.ache.org/abt_ache/EthicsToolkit/ethicsTOC.cfm
Manuel Velasquez, et. al. (2009, May). A Framework for Ethical Decision Making. Retrieved from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/a-framework-for-ethical-decision-making/
Sheila Bonde, & Paul Firenze (2013, May). A Framework for Making Ethical Decisions. Retrieved from https://www.brown.edu/academics/science-and-technology-studies/framework-making-ethical-decisions
