Exploring Ethical Principles in Healthcare

1239 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The four principles of ethics in healthcare

Ethical principles in healthcare are significant to the building blocks of mortality. The principles are beneficence, autonomy, justice, and nonmaleficence. Although these principles can be certainly followed they can also be disregarded. Beneficence is a theory that assures each procedure given is entirely beneficial to that patient to help them advance within their own good. For example, There was a young girl, the age of 17. She had been being treated at a small private practice since she was born. She was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and was only given a few more years to live. Her doctors at the private practice who had been seeing her for years were very attached to her and wanted to grant this dying girl her every wish. They promised …show more content…

This procedure would have been of no benefit to the patient so the principle beneficence was not followed. The new doctor at the practice brought to the other doctors’ attention that this procedure was outrageous and would be of no good to the patient or the family. After consideration the other doctors realized they were too emotionally attached to deny the patient of her wish, so they needed to tell her the procedure was canceled. And this is where paternalism comes into play. Paternalism is when a doctor has to put a foot down when a patient is demanding a procedure that is more harmful to them than good (the patient just can’t see it). Doctors are always in the best interest for the patient expect for when paternalism is involved. Sometimes even though a patient is proven mentally competent a doctor has to do what they feel is the right thing to do for the patient even if is overruling the patients decisions. A way to of having benefited the cancer patients of having a baby possibly could have been just taking her to visit some babies to get the feel of what it could be like to be a mothers not actually giving her one of her own to be raised without a mother. Nonmaleficence is a principle that assures a procedure or decision is doing no harm to the …show more content…

Justice is a complex principle, it assures that distribution of benefits and resources are fair among all patients. It also ensures equality throughout the hospital. Within the ethics principal Justice, are five conceptualizations, to each; an equal share, according to need, according to effort, according to contribution, according to merit. An example of to each, an equal share would be, if there were four patients in need of a certain type of ankle brace but the hospital only have three that could be used, they could not just give 3 patients and brace and let one go without because that would be injustice. So the doctors would have to order a new brace and wait until all 4 have arrives or the doctors would have to find a different solution for all four patients to be equally benefited. An example of to each, according to need, would be there are 2 patients, one patient is able to walk with a walker and the other patient is able only able to move around in a wheel chair, the doctors would have to decide if it would be more of the a justified beneficial need to get the patient who can use a walker one and a wheelchair for the other

Show More
Related

  • Euthanasia: Ethical Dilemmas and Moral Principles

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the context of euthanasia, helping someone end their suffering may be viewed as doing more good than harm. This is said to be in line with the moral view that no patient be allowed to suffer unbearably, out of compassion and mercy (Norval and Gwyther, 2003). However, it can be argued that a further step in beneficence is the “duty to prevent harm to others” (Pellegrino and Thomasma, 1987), which falls under the principle of non-maleficence. Thus appropriate and optimal palliative care should be the right approach instead of euthanasia. Euthanasia advocates also set forth an argument based on distributive justice to support active voluntary euthanasia. The “rule of rescue” questions whether it is ethical to engage in expensive treatment of terminally ill patients to prolong their lives for a short period when medical funding is limited and gradually decreasing (Gabriel, 2011). This preferential treatment compromises the objectives of the medical profession and is morally unacceptable. The terminally ill patients who are already vulnerable should not be left to feel that they are a burden. They should be treated equally and should not be seen as depriving someone else of a prior right to those resources. Finally, as Beauchamp and Childress note, “the most vital consideration which binds all the four principles together is the character of the doctor who has to treat and care for his patients”

    Read More

  • Mrs. Boswell’s Dilemma

    1185 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ethical principle of nonmaleficence demands to first do no harm and in this case protect the patient from harm since she cannot protect. Nurses must be aware in situations such as this, that they are expected to advocate for patients in a right and reasonable way. The dilemma with nonmaleficence is that Mrs. Boswell has no chance of recovery because of her increasing debilitating mental incapability and the obvious harm that outweighs the intended benefits. If the decision were to continue treatment, suffering of the patient and family would be evident. Autonomy is the right to making own decisions and freedom to choose a plan of action. When making decisions regarding treatment of another person, it is important to respect the expressed wishes of the individual. John says that his mother would want to live as long as she could, but questions arise related to her quality of life and perception of prolonged suffering by prolonging the dying process. In BOOK states that quality of life changes throughout one’s life ...

    Read More

  • Johns Hopkins Model Of Remote Cardiac Monitoring

    1899 Words  | 4 Pages

    The principle of justice is to treat others equitably and fairly. Often confused with entitlement, it is providing quality and comparable care to individuals equally. One example of the principle of justice in society is the recent Affordable Care Act attempt to meet the healthcare needs of the

    Read More

  • Psychiatric Advance Directives versus Recipient Rights

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ethical principles that most pertain to John’s situation are those of autonomy and beneficence. John deserves respect to his autonomy and his health care providers should consider beneficence in all of their interventions.

    Read More

  • Healthcare Ethics Essay

    869 Words  | 2 Pages

    When medical care providers are forced to make decisions and these decisions “violate one of the four principles of medical ethics” so that they can adhere to another of these principles this is considered an ethical dilemma (“Medical Ethics & the Rationing of Health Care: Introduction”, n.d., p. 1). Bioethicists refer to the healthcare ethics four principles in their merits evaluation and medical procedure difficulties as transplants. Organ and or transplant allocation policies has a mixture of legal, ethical, scientific and many others, however the focus here will be to show how the four ethical principles, autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice, applies to transplant allocation (Childress, 2001, p. 5).

    Read More

  • The Beneficence Of Ethical Decision Making In Healthcare

    1710 Words  | 4 Pages

    Nearly most of the problems that have arisen at the VA are not only bad scheduling practices that resulted in extremely longer wait times, putting certain veterans before others, but also death to veterans who had to wait for care. Also, there is a lack of ethical culture, but beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, self-sufficiency as well as confidentiality that was forgotten is this case (McWay, 2014). The beneficence and nonmaleficence are the most important of ethics (McWay, 2014). First, beneficence is to make available good and nonmaleficence means to do no harm whatsoever (McWay, 2014). Also, justice can include the responsibility of fairness, honesty, and in essence treating all patients

    Read More

  • Physician Assisted Suicide Ethics

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    As precious as life is to come in to this world, there is debate about whether life going out of this world should hold the same amount of pricelessness, happiness, and peace in cases of the terminally ill with no chance of long-term survival. This deliberation of whether physician assisted suicide should be permitted is a major medical ethical concern, however, as a future nurse, this argument does not have a place in modern medicine. In the following sections, the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence are discussed with regard to the patient’s best interest and the personal views and opinions of a prospective nurse.

    Read More

  • Healthcare Ethical Responsibility

    304 Words  | 1 Pages

    Why is it so important that healthcare executives adhere to a professional code of ethics?

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Autonomy In Health Care

    968 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the scenario the decision made by the RN and the paramedics have breached the respect of autonomy of Elsie and failed to respect the decision made by Elsie. Megan-Janes 20.. implifies that people have the right and are to free to choose and act on their choices provided that their decision and act doesn’t impinge on moral interest of other people. Likewise Elsie’s choice to not to get advance treatment was of no harm to any other people rather than herself. In health settings Principle of Autonomy protests the patients right to be respected as dignified human being capable of making decision what is right for them even if everyone thinks that it is not right( ).In short health professionals must allow patient to participate in the decision making when it comes to their care and treatment. Furthermore (Harris 2011) have explained that it is very vital to respect patient’s autonomus decision to refuse intervention which is based on the principle of autonomy. Furthermore, in the scenario where the pressure of patient’s autonomy is in line, the argument depends on other moral principles( ).In this says Principle of non-maleficence gives justification. The Principle of non-maleficence says above all do no harm which means not to injure others or harm them ( ). Likewise , the RN and the Paramedics in the scenario had no intention of doing any harm to Elsie rather than saving her life. ( ) suggested that in nursing context the principle of non-maleficence would provide justification for performing any act which unfairly injures or makes a person to suffer which was avoidable. This will explain why the health professionals performed those acts despite the protest of Elsie which resulted in death of Elsie. Principle of Beneficence is another moral principle which defends against the principle of

    Read More

  • The Four Principles in Biomedical Ethics

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    ..., beneficence, non-maleficence and justice help us understand and explain which medical practices are ethical and adequate. These principles are used to protect the rights of a patient and the physician from being dishonored. The principle autonomy allow an individual to act freely in accordance to their self-chosen plan. This means that healthcare providers must always get the patients consent before making any decision about patient’s life. The of non-maleficence states one must cause no harm to an individual. This means that we must always restrain from harming others. The principle of beneficences say that one must always promote good. This means that healthcare providers must always do what is good for the patient. Lastly the principle of justice promote fairness and equally. This mean that healthcare providers cannot act in a prejudice manner toward patients.

    Read More

  • Medical Ethics

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Physician-assisted suicide refers to the physician acting indirectly in the death of the patient -- providing the means for death. The ethics of PAS is a continually debated topic. The range of arguments in support and opposition of PAS are vast. Justice, compassion, the moral irrelevance of the difference between killing and letting die, individual liberty are many arguments for PAS. The distinction between killing and letting die, sanctity of life, "do no harm" principle of medicine, and the potential for abuse are some of the arguments in favor of making PAS illegal. However, self-determination, and ultimately respect for autonomy are relied on heavily as principle arguments in the PAS issue.

    Read More

  • Four Ethical Principles In The Health Sector

    257 Words  | 1 Pages

    In this scenario there a number of ethical principles of health that related to it. Beneficence is the first principle that directly engages the staff to perform their task with a focus on well to the subject. Another principle is the non-maleficence which defines the aim not to do any harm to the patient being handled. Additionally, fairness is another principle that the staff and OB-GYN physician observe because the staff seems to be fair to both the mother and the baby while the OB-GYN physician recommends patient referral to another hospital(Scotland, 2015).

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas and Debates in Modern Healthcare

    833 Words  | 2 Pages

    Ethical dilemmas in healthcare comprise a variety of medical decisions. Should one get extensive surgery at the age of 95? Should we continue an 85-year-old patient on life support? These questions are extremely difficult to answer. “The ethical dilemma is how to balance the precepts of autonomy, beneficence, and distributive justice” (Teutsch & Rechel, 2012).

    Read More

  • Rights-Based Ethics In Health And Social Care

    490 Words  | 1 Pages

    People have the right to make a decision regarding whether or not they wish to go ahead with a particular treatment and they should not be coerced in any way. Benefit rights say a health care professional is obliged to do right by the patient and provide the necessary care they need and produce positive outcomes for the patient. Another value that arises from rights-based ethics is non-maleficence as it may be wrong or not good to quarantine a patient with Ebola because it is against their rights of freedom, however this is in order to avoid harming the greater good. Justice is also relevant in rights-based ethics

    Read More

  • Ethics of Reciprocity: My Moral Compass

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    General ethical theories have provided guidance for moral decision making for a few years now. Major theories have been created which emphasize different rules or principles to follow when moral difficulties arise, specifically in the medical context. These major ethical theories like Utilitarianism, Deontology, Natural Law of Ethics, Care Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and the Ethics of Reciprocity, to name a few, stand for different principles which overall formulates the major differences between these theories. However, after deliberating over the man principles and rules of each theory, the ethical theory which resonated most with my own decision making process, is the Ethics of Reciprocity.

    Read More

More about Exploring Ethical Principles in Healthcare

Open Document