NURS-FPX-4000 Assessment 2 Applying Research Skills
March 28, 2024Assessment 03 – Applying Ethical Principles
Case Study: Organ Transplant Prioritization
Lila Rodriguez, a talented 29-year-old graphic designer, has been battling liver disease for several years. Her condition has recently deteriorated, and she now finds herself in dire need of a liver transplant. Lila’s vibrant spirit and determination to recover are evident to all who meet her. However, her medical history reveals a struggle with substance abuse, particularly alcohol, which contributed to her current condition. Dr. Omar Khan, the transplant coordinator at Unity Health Hospital, is well-acquainted with Lila’s case. He’s been impressed by her commitment to recovery, noting her active participation in rehabilitation programs and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings over the past two years. However, he’s also aware that the hospital’s transplant committee might view her history of substance abuse as a potential risk factor. The limited availability of donor organs means that the committee must prioritize recipients based on a set of criteria, including the likelihood of post-transplant success and the potential risk of organ rejection or failure. Dr. Khan is caught in an ethical quandary. The principle of justice demands that he ensures a fair and unbiased allocation of the limited organ resources. Every patient on the transplant list has a pressing need, and the criteria are designed to maximize the success rate of transplants. However, the principle of beneficence pushes Dr. Khan to advocate for the well-being of his
patient, Lila. He believes in her commitment to a healthier lifestyle post-transplant and feels she
deserves a chance at a new lease on life.
Case Study: Medical Treatment Against Cultural Beliefs
John Blackrock, a 50-year-old renowned Native American artist known for his intricate beadwork and paintings, is diagnosed with an early-stage form of lung cancer at the Evergreen Health Clinic. The diagnosis comes as a shock to John, who has always led a healthy lifestyle, deeply rooted in the traditions and practices of his ancestors. Upon discussing treatment options, Dr. Emily Stone, a young oncologist with a passion for patient-centered care, recommends a combination of surgery followed by chemotherapy. She believes this approach offers John the best chance of full recovery. However, John, deeply connected to his cultural roots, expresses his wish to forgo the conventional treatment. Instead, he wants to seek healing through traditional Native American practices, which include herbal medicine, spiritual rituals, and guidance from tribal elders. Dr. Stone, while respectful of cultural diversity, is deeply concerned. She’s seen patients with similar diagnoses recover fully with the right medical interventions. She fears that without timely treatment, John’s condition might worsen, making his prognosis grim. She’s also aware that John is a significant figure in his community, and his choices might influence others. Dr. Stone, recognizing the principle of autonomy, understands that the final decision rests with John. However, she also feels the weight of beneficence, wanting the best possible outcome for her patient.
Medical Treatment Against Cultural Beliefs ; the case study focuses on John Blackrock who is a 50-year-old Native American artist diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer. When presented with treatment options by Dr. Emily Stone, John explains his desire to forego conventional treatment. He reasons that traditional Native American healing practices are better. Mr. John is deeply rooted in cultural beliefs thus the influence of his expression of foregoing conventional treatment. Dr. Stone, while respecting her patient’s autonomy, is concerned about possible consequences of forgoing medical treatment. Dr. Stone believes that the treatment would offer best chances of recovery. In that case, the ethical problem that was identified is clash between John’s cultural beliefs and medical recommendation for conventional treatment. John has right to autonomy to make decisions about his own health. Decision of John about his health seem to go against duty of Dr. Stone to act in his best interest by upholding principle of beneficence. Moreover, there is a possibility of conflict between respecting cultural diversity and promotion of optimal health outcomes for the patient.
Therefore, the individual who are involved in the ethical problem compose of John Blackrock, Dr. Emily Stone, and possibly the community where John is coming from. The reason for including the community is that decision made by John may influence others within his community. To fully understand the ethical problem, it can be analyzed through the three components of ethical decision-making model that was provided by Capella University. The components consist of moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior. With concept of moral awareness, Dr. Stone is morally aware of how significant culture is to John but she must balance this with her judgment that conventional treatment offers best chance of recovery. Regarding ethical behavior, Dr. Stone has to navigate tension between respecting John’s autonomy and her responsibility to promote his well-being. According to the article by Bullock (2023), it has been found out that both well-being of the patient and respect to patient autonomy are essential in all circumstances. This Bullock (2023)’s article has to be included in analysis of the ethical problem because it is offering knowledge that autonomy as well as well-being of a patient has to be both prioritized. Principally, there are several factors that contribute to ethical problem in the Medical Treatment Against Cultural Belief as the selected case study.
Dr. Stone seemed to have used the three components of ethical decision making model which are moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior. She used them to resolve the ethical problem that she is facing. First, she familiarizes herself with ethical dilemma when John expresses his wish to forgo conventional treatment so that he can use traditional Native American practices such as herbal medicine. As such, Dr. Stone seem to understand importance of respecting patient autonomy that John has and cultural beliefs. At the same time, she is trying to acknowledge her duty to provide best possible medical care to her patient. Such action by Dr. Stone show that she values moral awareness so as to be able to approach situation with sensitivity and empathy. Another component that Dr. Stones used is moral judgment since she is able to carefully weigh competing ethical principles of autonomy and beneficence. Responsibility taken by Dr. Stone can be noticed when she advocates for conventional treatment. Her advocacy was influenced by her medical expertise and concern for well-being of John while she also gave priority to his right to make decisions about his own health care. It seems that Dr. Stone engaged in shared decision-making with John so as to collaboratively explore alternative treatment options might integrate traditional practices with medical interventions that she proposed to him
In addition to moral judgement, Dr. Stone has shown ethical behavior when she communicated openly with John. During the communication she provided information about treatment options while at the same time respecting autonomy of her patient throughout decision-making process. Dr. Stone created a supportive environment so as to make John to feel empowered when participating in decisions about his care. As a consequence, ethical behavior portrayed by Dr. Stone led to a treatment plan that favored cultural identity and medical needs of John which in turn led to promotion of better health outcomes and patient satisfaction. Apart from responsibility and priorities of Dr. Stone, there are some lessons that healthcare professionals can learn from this case study. Some of the lessons comprise of importance of actively listening to patients, respecting their autonomy, and working together with them to develop treatment plans are effective with their values and preferences. Clearly, it is important to approach, for example
