30 Jun Tim
What is an Ethical dilemmas? The ethical dilemma is a complex situation that often involves an apparent mental conflict between moral imperatives, in which to obey one would result in transgressing another (Wikipedia, 2016). Worth noting, ethical dilemmas can occur in every business and this is true within the healthcare sector. The Ethical dilemma is beneficial to understand on what makes something in solving the issue at hand, and having moral principles to guide a person to make an ethical decision, is important. The Baby Boy Doe story can be a great example of an “ethical dilemma” that can be viewed as being handled “ethically” and but also not “ethically”.
The case of Baby Boy Doe begin with an ethical dilemma. The parents decided not go for an atresia surgery in order to save their baby’s life and of course, they were legally in the right to be the final decision makers. However, the doctors had to deal between following hospital policies and listening to the parents’ request. According to the hospital policies, doctors must perform, the surgery without any sort of parents’ permission to save the baby’s life and these policies goes against parent’s decision and rights. Well, many observers may argue that the doctors should go against the parents wish and save the baby’s life. Unfortunately, in this dilemma, there are policies in place to protect patients and doctors. To be protected, doctors were performing the same what they were supposed to do to avoid any lawsuit issues. Therefore, the doctors allowed the parents of Baby Boy Doe to be independent on making the final decision.
The hospital and responsible doctors did not act beneficently in this situation. The definition of beneficently according to Merriam-Webster is “doing or producing good” (Merriam-Webster). In this case, the hospital and doctors didn’t produce good as they allowed an infant literally to die. On the other hand, the hospital didn’t consider non-maleficence because they let the baby to continue with starvation and dehydration.
To my opinion, in this case –the hospital and doctors must have a hard time following the parents’ wishes but fortunately, since this case there have been laws put into place to make life decisions about infants made based on the best interest of him/her. “The standard, unlike substituted judgment, does not rest on autonomy or self-determination but solely on the protection of the patient’s welfare” (Paris, Schreiber, Reardon, 2003). The patient’s ultimate interest would be the deciding factor when it comes to the healthcare, however, the physicians may still face some ethical dilemmas and constrain when dealing with infants.
The parents had a hard decision to make for their son who was born with mental and physical disabilities. “If we include social responsibility in justifying life, then it should also be justified that all lives be conserved under any and every circumstance” (Taylor, 2011; Singer, 1975). Unfortunately, the parents made the decision to end their child’s life. One can assume they chose this because of his mental disability that is extremely unethical.
To my opinion, the baby boy dilemma was so extensive that to think it through thoroughly still may not have saved the child; how? well, let’s assume that the baby’s parent were brought to the court and they lost their child; consequently, baby has got his surgery and placed for an adoption after a successful (hypothetical) recovery, but it really doesn’t change the fact that the child will suffer! Ethical decision-making can be very difficult but understanding how to identify an ethical dilemma can make the decision easier to work through the relevant situation.
References
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2016), “Ethical dilemma,” Retrieved on Feb 9 2017 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_dilemma
Paris, J., Schreiber, M., & Reardon, F. (2003). Ethical and Legal Issues. Retrieved Feb 08, 2017 from http://pediatrics.uchicago.edu/chiefs/documents/ethicallegalmechvent.pdf
Darr, K. (2011). Ethics in Health Services Management (5th ed.). Baltimore: Health Professions Press.
Merriam-Webster. Retrieved Feb 09, 2017 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beneficent
Taylor, P. W. (2011). The Biocentric Outlook on Nature. In Respect for Nature : A Theory of Environment Ethics (25th Anniversary Edition) (pp. 99-168). Princeton: Princeton University Press. Retrieved on Feb 10 2017
Our website has a team of professional writers who can help you write any of your homework. They will write your papers from scratch. We also have a team of editors just to make sure all papers are of HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE. To make an Order you only need to click Ask A Question and we will direct you to our Order Page at WriteDemy. Then fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Fill in all the assignment paper details that are required in the order form with the standard information being the page count, deadline, academic level and type of paper. It is advisable to have this information at hand so that you can quickly fill in the necessary information needed in the form for the essay writer to be immediately assigned to your writing project. Make payment for the custom essay order to enable us to assign a suitable writer to your order. Payments are made through Paypal on a secured billing page. Finally, sit back and relax.
About Writedemy
We are a professional paper writing website. If you have searched a question and bumped into our website just know you are in the right place to get help in your coursework. We offer HIGH QUALITY & PLAGIARISM FREE Papers.
How It Works
To make an Order you only need to click on “Order Now” and we will direct you to our Order Page. Fill Our Order Form with all your assignment instructions. Select your deadline and pay for your paper. You will get it few hours before your set deadline.
Are there Discounts?
All new clients are eligible for 20% off in their first Order. Our payment method is safe and secure.