Application Of Ethical Principles Essay Assignment Paper
Nurses often encounter ethical issues when providing care for patients. There are many different guises that these ethical dilemmas might take. Usually, these dilemmas arise when a patient is dissatisfied with their care, refuses therapeutic interventions due to personal or cultural convictions, or when patients and their families are forced into making choices about their clinical condition that might result in life and death situation for the patient (Haahr et al., 2020)Application Of Ethical Principles Essay Assignment Paper. In situations like these, nurses have the responsibility of providing high-quality care, as well as adhering to the Code of Ethics for Nurses, which covers principles such as beneficence, Nonmaleficence, autonomy, justice, and confidentiality/privacy.
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Case Study Overview
Jenna and Chris Smith have a five–year–old daughter named Anna. Anna was born in a local community hospital in perfect health and had no complications. The Smiths do not want Anna to be vaccinated for whatever reason. They want to give their daughter the healthiest and most natural upbringing by nursing her exclusively for the first six months of her life and feeding her only organic, whole foods. The Smiths have an education level equivalent to that of a college graduate, and they indicate to the physician that they have conducted study on the immunizations and discovered that vaccinations are capable of creating additional problems than they solve. They point to autism as being one of the vaccinations’ hidden consequences. Their new pediatrician, Dr. Angela Kerr, pays close attention as the Smiths recount their discoveries from mommy blogs that track the incidence of autism linked to vaccination.
In her response, Dr. Angela brings up the argument around vaccinations that has surfaced over the last several years. On the other hand, she suggests that Anna should obtain the complete complement of her vaccinations. In her explanation to the Smiths, Dr. Angela points out that immunization has reduced death rates by protecting the lives of millions of children worldwide. She notes that routine vaccination of children against the Herophilus influenza type b bacteria has been a contributing factor in the decline of the deadly Herophilus influenza type b infection. She went on to say that the majority of individuals who get measles during epidemics are those who have not been immunized against the disease Application Of Ethical Principles Essay Assignment Paper.
According to Dr. Angela, vaccination safety is guaranteed, and the national government’s vaccine adverse occurrence surveillance program constantly updates vaccine profiles. As a result, she explains, everyone may see the program page and provide their input, which will help in the ongoing review of the vaccine’s safety. While several investigations have shown that vaccines contain thimerosal, which increases the likelihood of getting autism, no vaccines have been confirmed to trigger autism or other conditions. Because some infants are born with weakened immune systems due to hereditary illnesses, Dr. Angela stresses the need for immunization to the Smiths. Even after confirming that they were informed of what the physician had said, the Smiths stated unequivocally that they do not want their child to receive vaccinations. As a result, Dr. Angela is faced with the ethical issue of deciding whether it is more important to concede to the choice made by the Smiths or to fulfill her professional obligations as a healthcare practitioner.
Analysis of the Ethical Issues
Since the Smiths do not want their child to be immunized, Dr. Angela Kerr was forced into a situation of having to deal with an ethical dilemma. As a result of their online study, the Smiths believe that vaccines may lead their child to develop an autistic disorder. Dr. Angela considers it her professional responsibility to ensure that Anna receives the necessary vaccinations. Nonetheless, given that she has a great deal of regard for the research that the Smiths have done and the choice that they have made, she decided to point out the different significances of vaccination. She emphasized that the mechanism for recording adverse reactions to vaccines that is run by the national government is an important part of the safety monitoring process.
Despite this, the Smiths continue to be of the opinion that the risks associated with immunization exceed their potential advantages. Dr. Angela is worried about Anna receiving the required vaccines since the stance stated by the Smiths has the potential to have a substantial effect on their daughter’s overall health.
Analysis using Ethical Decision-Model
Ethical conduct, moral consciousness, and ethical judgment are the three components that make up the ethical choice paradigm. Moral consciousness and moral judgment are the building blocks of ethical conduct. Being morally conscious is being aware that there are problems that need to be solved. According to Haddad & Geiger (2018), the ability to make the correct decision when confronted with an ethical dilemma is what is meant by moral judgment. The fact that the pediatrician understood the nature of Anna’s predicament and the care that was required for her demonstrates that she had a high moral consciousness. When she attempts to persuade the Smiths, she expresses her moral judgment by advising Anna to be immunized since it is the correct decision. The steps that Dr. Angela chooses to undertake in order to resolve the dilemma will be an indication of ethical conduct. On the other hand, it will be up to her discretion and her understanding of basic medical ethics to make the final decision Application Of Ethical Principles Essay Assignment Paper.
Approaches of Communication Effectiveness
When providing medical treatment to patients, attentive listening is a very important skill to possess. Listening attentively demonstrates to patients that their providers care about them and helps build a foundation of trust (Tenant et al., 2017). Dr. Angela managed to learn the Smiths’ reasoning for not wanting their child to be vaccinated because she listened carefully. She also learned that the Smiths had the belief that the best way to protect their daughter’s immunity is to nurse her exclusively for the first six months of her life and to only give her organic foods. She then began an open conversation with the Smiths after paying attention to their concerns. She made it abundantly apparent to them that the vaccines are risk-free due to the fact that not a single vaccine has been identified as a disorder-causing agent. Nevertheless, a number of studies have reached the conclusion that vaccinations are to blame for autism (Davidson, 2022). Vaccinating Anna without consent from her parents is not an option, and the physician is well conscious of this fact. As a result, she is obligated to communicate candidly with them and attempt to persuade them to accept vaccination. In order to have a meaningful conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the physician relied on the use of facts. Overall, healthcare practitioners need to practice active listening in order to better grasp their clients’ beliefs and, as a result, develop strategies for addressing their concerns.
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Application of Ethical Principles the Solving Ethical Dilemma
The most important principles of ethical conduct include beneficence, Nonmaleficence, justice, and autonomy. Medical professionals rely on them when confronted with ethical conundrums. Beneficence is concerned with making judgments that are for the greatest good of the patient, while justice is concerned with treating patients fairly (Varkey, 2020). Autonomy refers to the physician’s capacity to comprehend and accommodate the client’s ideals and convictions (Hunt, 2020). Autonomy, beneficence, and Nonmaleficence are the three guiding ethical concepts that are relevant to this case study. They are in conflict with one another, which presents Dr. Angela with an ethical issue. Dr. Angela acknowledges the Smiths’ decision against immunizations based on their study on vaccinations as well as their conscious choice. This protects the Smiths’ right to act autonomously. The fact that the doctor has to assist Anna in receiving the necessary immunizations is evidence of beneficence. As a gesture of Nonmaleficence, she is attempting to shield Anna from the potential harm that may result from her continued lack of immunization. Dr. Angela will need to consider Anna’s well-being while determining the course of action that is most appropriate to pursue in order to find a solution to the issue. Smith’s autonomy may be compromised as a result of this.
Conclusion
When interacting with patients, those who work in the medical field often find themselves in delicate ethical dilemmas. As such, there are primary ethical standards that health workers are obliged to follow. This will enable them to make ethical decisions and carry out appropriate operations that are to the patient’s advantage Application Of Ethical Principles Essay Assignment Paper