Reference no: EM133565228

Homework

Develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional by applying ethical principles. Describe the issues and a possible solution in a paper of 3-5 pages.

Select one of the case studies presented:

Case Study: Confidentiality and Mental Health

Dr. Laura Simmons, a licensed clinical psychologist, has been treating Mr. Alex Turner, a 35-year-old software engineer, for symptoms of severe depression and anxiety over the past six months. Their sessions have been characterized by trust and open communication, with Alex often sharing his deepest fears and concerns.

During a particularly intense session, Alex reveals to Dr. Simmons that he has been having recurring thoughts of harming a colleague due to a longstanding professional rivalry and recent personal conflicts. He describes detailed plans and expresses a genuine intent to act on these thoughts.

Dr. Simmons is immediately faced with an ethical dilemma. She values the principle of confidentiality, which is foundational to the therapeutic relationship. Alex has trusted her with his innermost thoughts, and she knows that breaking this trust could potentially harm their therapeutic alliance. However, she is also bound by the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Beneficence compels her to act in the best interest of her patient and those around him, while non-maleficence emphasizes the importance of "doing no harm."

Case Study: Resource Allocation and Justice

St. Helena Hospital, located in a densely populated urban area, is facing an unprecedented challenge. A sudden outbreak of a rare respiratory virus has overwhelmed the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU). With only five ventilators available and ten critically ill patients in need, the healthcare team is faced with a heart-wrenching decision.

Dr. Caroline Mitchell, the Chief Medical Officer, convenes an emergency meeting with her core team: Dr. James Rodriguez, a pulmonologist; Nurse Hannah Green, the ICU head nurse; and Dr. Lisa Wong, an ethicist. They must decide how to allocate their limited ventilators.

Among the ten patients are:

1. Mr. Alberto Garcia, a 50-year-old teacher with three children, ages 16, 18, and 22. Mrs. Emily Foster, an 80-year-old retired nurse who has been a pillar in her community.

2. Mr. David Kim, a 40-year-old researcher working on groundbreaking medical technology.

3. Ms. Sarah O'Brien, a 20-year-old single mother and the sole caregiver to her two disabled children, ages 2 and 5

The team grapples with the principle of justice, aiming to ensure that all patients are treated fairly and equitably. They consider a first-come-first-serve approach but recognize its inherent flaws. They also discuss allocating based on age, societal contribution, or potential future contributions, but each criterion presents its own set of ethical challenges.

Beneficence, the principle of doing good, pushes the team to consider which patients might benefit most from the ventilator and have the highest chances of recovery. Conversely, non-maleficence, or "do no harm," raises questions about the potential suffering some patients might endure even with the aid of a ventilator.

Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. At a minimum, be sure to address each point. In addition, you are encouraged to review the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.

For this homework, develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional. In your homework:

I. Select one of the case studies presented.

A. Note: The case study may not supply all of the information you need. In such cases, you should consider a variety of possibilities and infer potential conclusions. However, please be sure to identify any assumptions or speculations you make.

II. Summarize the facts in the selected case study and use the three components of an ethical decision-making model to analyze an ethical problem or issue and the factors that contributed to it.

A. Identify which case study you selected and briefly summarize the facts surrounding it. Identify the problem or issue that presents an ethical dilemma or challenge and describe that dilemma or challenge.

B. Identify who is involved or affected by the ethical problem or issue.

C. Access the Ethical Decision-Making Model media piece and use the three components of the ethical decision-making model (moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior) to analyze the ethical issues.

1. Apply the three components outlined in the Ethical Decision-Making Model media.

D. Analyze the factors that contributed to the ethical problem or issue identified in the case study.

1. Describe the factors that contributed to the problem or issue and explain how they contributed.

III. Apply academic peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to an ethical problem or issue as evidence to support an analysis of the case.

A. In addition to the readings provided, use thelibrary to locate at least one academic peer-reviewed journal article relevant to the problem or issue that you can use to support your analysis of the situation.

1. Cite and apply key principles from the journal article as evidence to support your critical thinking and analysis of the ethical problem or issue.

2. Review the Think Critically About Source Quality resource.

a. Assess the credibility of the information source.

b. Assess the relevance of the information source.

IV. Discuss the effectiveness of the communication approaches present in a case study.

A. Describe how the health care professional in the case study communicated with others.

B. Assess instances where the professional communicated effectively or ineffectively.

C. Explain which communication approaches should be used and which ones should be avoided.

D. Describe the consequences of using effective and non-effective communication approaches.

V. Discuss the effectiveness of the approach used by a professional to deal with problems or issues involving ethical practice in a case study.

A. Describe the actions taken in response to the ethical dilemma or issue presented in the case study.

B. Summarize how well the professional managed professional responsibilities and priorities to resolve the problem or issue in the case.

C. Discuss the key lessons this case provides for health care professionals.

VI. Apply ethical principles to a possible solution to an ethical problem or issue described in a case study.

A. Describe the proposed solution.

B. Discuss how the approach makes this professional more effective or less effective in building relationships across disciplines within his or her organization.

C. Discuss how likely it is the proposed solution will foster professional collaboration.