Medical Ethics Case Study

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Medical Ethics Case Study
Introduction
Professionals in every field are always confronted with some kind of ethical issues. It has however been noted that these ethical issues become high in magnitude and extent when public officials are involved. Due to the involvement of human life, an industry like healthcare holds ethics in highest regard. Even though these healthcare practitioners are highly trained to deal with issues of these kinds, their decisions can sometimes have a lasting impact on their professional and personal lives (Edwards 2009).
The general awareness among patients on their rights during a medical procedure often conflict with the morals of the healthcare industry. Many times healthcare professionals are caught between unpleasant situations in which the critical part is that they have to make a decision. It becomes more difficult when the professionals have to compromise on their moral or ethical principles. In such scenarios, making a decision offends the other and in either the loss is to the healthcare professionals involved. It has been a challenge for ethics committees to balance between the code of ethics and legal requirements, and the benefit or wellbeing of the patients together with their families. The situation is nothing but a dilemma to the healthcare industry (Pozgar 2010).
Discussion
In the case of Mrs Xi, the main question is whether it is ethically reasonable to inform her of her health condition. Mrs. Xi has been diagnosed and found to be suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis which her daughters insist that when she is informed this, it would be like giving her “a death sentence” given that she considers the disease fatal. The issue is complicated by the fact that Mrs Xi is an independent widow...

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Cherry, B. and Jacob, S. R., 2008. Contemporary nursing: issues, trends & management. 4th ed. Missouri: Mosby/Elsevier.
Edwards, S. D., 2009. Nursing ethics: a principle-based approach. 2nd ed. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Fry, S. T. and Johnstone, M. J., 2002. Ethics in nursing practice: a guide to ethical decision making. 2nd ed. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell.
Fry, S. T., Veatch, R. M. and Taylor, C., 2010. Case Studies in Nursing Ethics. 4th ed. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Pozgar, G. D., 2010. Legal and ethical issues for health professionals. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Yeo, M., 2010. Concepts and Cases in Nursing Ethics. 3rd ed. New York: Broadview Press

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