Reference no: EM132655303

When discussing death and dying issues personally or professionally, there is great potential for disaster. This is because everyone views death, dying, dignity, value, and life differently based on their worldview, culture, and presumptions about life. As a medical worker, you must be able to set your assumptions aside and seek to advocate for your patient's preferences. In the inpatient setting, an ethics consult can be helpful during times of disagreements between medical staff, family members, or staff and family.

Ethics consultations should be initiated when an ethical problem exists in the care of a patient. Communication can be very difficult during these times; an ethics consult can help by bringing in an outside, third-party perspective about the situation. If a communication breakdown is not the issue, there can be a true ethical decision that needs made. Actual ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, or justice can be debated. For instance:

Question 1: Should a patient unable to breath on her own or who has been "trached" and ventilator-dependent be allowed to die?

Question 2: Should a patient have a feeding tube placed to sustain life when no signs of continued neurological development exist?

Question 3: Should a patient be allowed to refuse chemotherapy and radiation, knowing the cancer will grow and end his life?

Question 4: Should a pediatric patient be transplanted against his will?