Description
For this assessment, develop a solution to a specific ethical dilemma faced by a health care professional. In your assessment:
Select one of the case studies presented in the Assessment 03 Supplement: Applying Ethical Principles [PDF] resource.
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.
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.
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.
Identify who is involved or affected by the ethical problem or issue.
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.
Apply the three components outlined in the Ethical Decision-Making Model media.
Analyze the factors that contributed to the ethical problem or issue identified in the case study.
Describe the factors that contributed to the problem or issue and explain how they contributed.
Apply academic peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to an ethical problem or issue as evidence to support an analysis of the case.
In addition to the readings provided, use the Capella library 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. The NHS-FPX4000: Developing a Health Care Perspective Library Guide will help you locate appropriate references.
Cite and apply key principles from the journal article as evidence to support your critical thinking and analysis of the ethical problem or issue.
Review the Think Critically About Source Quality resource.
Assess the credibility of the information source.
Assess the relevance of the information source.
Discuss the effectiveness of the communication approaches present in a case study.
Describe how the health care professional in the case study communicated with others.
Assess instances where the professional communicated effectively or ineffectively.
Explain which communication approaches should be used and which ones should be avoided.
Describe the consequences of using effective and non-effective communication approaches.
Discuss the effectiveness of the approach used by a professional to deal with problems or issues involving ethical practice in a case study.
Describe the actions taken in response to the ethical dilemma or issue presented in the case study.
Summarize how well the professional managed professional responsibilities and priorities to resolve the problem or issue in the case.
Discuss the key lessons this case provides for health care professionals.
Apply ethical principles to a possible solution to an ethical problem or issue described in a case study.
Describe the proposed solution.
Discuss how the approach makes this professional more effective or less effective in building relationships across disciplines within his or her organization.
Discuss how likely it is the proposed solution will foster professional collaboration.
Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Apply the principles of effective composition.
Determine the proper application of the rules of grammar and mechanics.
Write using APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.
Determine the proper application of APA formatting requirements and scholarly writing standards.
Integrate information from outside sources into academic writing by appropriately quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, following APA style.
The following links provide information about the codes of ethics of professional associations, government entities, and other organizations:
American College of Healthcare Executives. (2019). ACHE code of ethics. https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-comm…
American Nurses Association. (n.d.). Ethics topics and articles. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursi…
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Public health ethics resources. https://www.cdc.gov/od/science/integrity/phethics/…
Ennis-O-Connor, M., & Mannion, R. (2020). Social media networks and leadership ethics in healthcare. Healthcare Management Forum, 33(3), 145–148.
Levitt, D. (2014). Ethical decision-making in a caring environment: The four principles and LEADS. Healthcare Management Forum, 27(2), 105–107.
Moradi, K., Najarkolai, A. R., & Keshmiri, F. (2016). Interprofessional teamwork education: Moving toward the patient-centered approach. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 47(10), 449–460.
Raus, K., Mortier, E., & Eeckloo, K. (2018). The patient perspective in health care networks. BMC Medical Ethics, 19(1), 52.
Sanders, S., Wisse, B., Van Yperen, N. W., & Rus, D. (2018). On ethically solvent leaders: The roles of pride and moral identity in predicting leader ethical behavior. Journal of Business Ethics, 150(3), 631–645.
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Applying Ethical Principles
Learner’s Name
Capella University
NHS4000: Developing a Health Care Perspective
Instructor Name
August, 2020
Copyright ©2020 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
2
Applying Ethical Principles
Health care professionals often face ethical problems during their practice that require
them to use their moral values and principles when making decisions. The four fundamental
principles of health care ethics—autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice—act as
yardsticks for fair and ethical decision-making. These ethical principles are widely accepted in
the field of health care. Medical practitioners and health care administrators often use these
principles to make decisions when faced with complex situations involving patients.
Overview of the Case Study
Betsy is a dedicated pediatric nurse known for the care and concern she shows her
patients. Her neighbor and friend, Alice, lives with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, Shirley.
Alice and her husband are followers of Christian Science, a belief that advocates spiritual healing
and discourages most types of medical intervention. One day, when visiting Alice and Shirley,
Betsy sees Shirley experience what seems like a seizure. The child suddenly becomes
unresponsive and has a brief staring spell, with her eyes rolling upward. The episode lasts for 20
seconds, during which she seems completely unaware of her surroundings. While Shirley is
having the seizure, Alice sits by her side and prays but takes no other action. Betsy is concerned
about the little girl’s condition and probes her friend for details. Alice tells Betsy that Shirley
used to have around 15–20 such episodes a day until a few months ago; this has now reduced to
about 12. Alice attributes the improvement in Shirley’s health to her prayers and faith. However,
this does not help Betsy feel comfortable about Shirley’s condition. She is almost certain that
Shirley has epilepsy, which, if not treated on time, could have profound health implications. At
the very least, she thinks Alice should have Shirley’s symptoms accurately diagnosed.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Betsy sets up a meeting with Shirley’s parents
and Dr. Campbell, director of the neurology department at her hospital. She treats this meeting as
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an intervention, and both she and Dr. Campbell express their concern for Shirley’s health. They
stress on the fact that the improvement in Shirley’s symptoms does not necessarily mean she will
be cured. They empathize with Alice and her husband’s reluctance on account of their religious
faith but reiterate the importance of getting Shirley’s symptoms diagnosed. To prove their point,
they present studies that describe how seizures can be indicative of illnesses such as epilepsy,
which could negatively affect her cognition and behavior. Shirley’s parents are grateful that
Betsy and Dr. Campbell are concerned about their daughter’s health but remain resolute about
going against their faith. They believe that prayer will cure her. Betsy is faced with an ethical
dilemma of whether she should respect the parents’ religious beliefs and not intervene in the
matter or perform her moral obligation as a health care professional.
Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study
In the case study, the main factor that led to Betsy’s ethical dilemma is Shirley’s parents’
refusal of medical assistance for their daughter owing to their Christian Science beliefs. When
Betsy notices Shirley’s seizures, she thinks it is her duty to make sure Shirley receives medical
attention. As she respects the religious faith and belief of Shirley’s parents, she decides to
explain the risks that seizures could involve. She also includes Dr. Campbell in the conversation
so that he could provide an objective opinion to make them understand the need for medical
intervention. However, Shirley’s parents are certain that prayer will cure her seizures.
Considering that their attitude could result in serious health implication for Shirley, Betsy is
concerned about the little girl receiving appropriate medical attention (Baumrucker, et al., 2017).
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Model to Analyze the Case Study
The three components of the ethical decision-making model—moral awareness, moral
judgment, and ethical behavior—can help analyze the ethical issue outlined in the case study.
Whereas moral awareness is knowledge of the existence of an ethical dilemma, moral judgment
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involves choosing between the right and wrong actions when posed with such a dilemma. Both
moral awareness and moral judgment lead to ethical behavior. Ethical behavior is taking the right
action to resolve a dilemma. Betsy’s moral awareness is reflected by the fact that she recognizes
the circumstances surrounding Shirley’s condition. Her moral judgment is reflected by her
decision to try to convince Shirley’s parents to get Shirley medical help because she believed
that it was the right thing to do. Betsy’s ethical behavior constitutes the action she takes to
resolve the dilemma. This, in turn, depends on her personal judgment and the four principles of
health care ethics (autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice) she should abide by as a
health care professional.
Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study
Listening plays an important role in patient–physician communication. By listening to
Alice, Betsy learns of the frequency of Shirley’s seizures and the reduction in their occurrence.
She also learns that Alice and her husband believe that this reduction is due to their prayers and
faith in Christian Science. Therefore, active listening helps Betsy understand the situation better.
Betsy is aware that if she decides to get medical help for Shirley without the consent of
Shirley’s parents, she would be violating their right to informed consent and overstepping her
boundaries as a health care professional. So, she decides to present them with the information
they need to make an informed decision. She maintains an open communication with Shirley’s
parents while explaining the impact of seizures on their daughter’s health. She stresses the
importance of immediate diagnosis of Shirley’s seizures. Thus, by being respectful of Shirley’s
parents’ emotions and providing them with complete information about the problem, Betsy
communicates the situation to them in an effective manner.
During the discussion with Shirley’s parents, both Betsy and Dr. Campbell are
empathetic toward Alice and her husband’s reluctance to get the necessary medical help for their
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daughter on account of their religious faith. Betsy seems to have involved Dr. Campbell so that
he could share his objective expert opinion based on his experience in dealing with patients who
have similar symptoms. She probably thought that Shirley’s parents would change their decision
if Dr. Campbell reiterated that Shirley could develop severe cognitive problems (such as learning
difficulties and memory deficits) or behavioral problems (such as irritability, anxiety,
hyperactivity, and mood swings) if her seizures are neglected. However, they were unable to
convince Shirley’s parents to get Shirley medically diagnosed.
Although Betsy followed a systematic approach while dealing with the issue at hand, it
seems to have been ineffective as Shirley’s parents continued to stand by their faith in prayer.
However, listening patiently to patients’ problems and showing empathy and genuine care while
communicating with them are some lessons that health care professionals can take back from this
case study.
Resolving the Ethical Dilemma by Applying Ethical Principles
The four ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice are
often employed to resolve ethical dilemmas related to health care. Autonomy refers to accepting
and understanding patients’ values, beneficence refers to acting for the welfare of patients,
nonmaleficence refers to not doing harm to the patient, and justice refers to treating patients
fairly without bias.
The ethical dilemma that Betsy faces in this case involves three of the four basic
principles of medical ethics. In the case study, the ethical dilemma is caused by the conflict
between the principles of autonomy on the one hand and beneficence and nonmaleficence on the
other. Betsy preserves the autonomy of Shirley’s parents by respecting their religious beliefs and
not coercing them to get the girl correctly diagnosed. She further ropes in Dr. Campbell to try to
explain to them the importance of getting an accurate diagnosis.
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Approaching Child Protective Services—a social service agency run by the government
to counsel and support children and their families and promote child welfare—could be
considered by Betsy as an ethical means to resolve the dilemma. As Betsy is obligated to help
Shirley get medical care (beneficence) and prevent any harm that might be caused from ignoring
her seizures (nonmaleficence), she could seek intervention from Child Protective Services.
Although involving Child Protective Services could result in overriding the ethical principle of
autonomy, Betsy might have to take this decision keeping Shirley’s best interests in mind
(Baumrucker et al., 2017).
Conclusion
The four principles of health care ethics can be applied by health care professionals to
analyze and resolve ethical dilemmas. In the case study, Betsy has to decide between respecting
Shirley’s parents’ religious beliefs and performing her moral obligation as a health care
professional by helping Shirley seek medical care. The proposed solution involves upholding the
principles of autonomy, beneficence, and nonmaleficence to resolve Betsy’s ethical dilemma.
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References
Baumrucker, S. J., Easterday, J., Stolick, M., McCall-Burton, M., Adkins, R. W., Winiger, D., &
Cook, C. (2017). Ethics roundtable: Parental autonomy and the minor patient. American
Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 34(3), 287–292.
http://journals.sagepub.com.library.capella.edu/doi/pdf/10.1177/1049909115608812
Capella University (2018). NHS-FP4000 Exemplar Sample Ethical Case Study. Capella Website:
xxx.
Copyright ©2020 Capella University. Copy and distribution of this document are prohibited.
Applying Ethical Principles
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Applying Ethical Principles
Makeiah Karmea Bynum
Capella University
NHS-FPX4000: Developing a Healthcare Perspective
Instructor: Dr. Joan Vermillion
April 10th , 2023
Applying Ethical Principles
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Applying Ethical Principles
Ethical issues plague healthcare professionals throughout their careers. Healthcare
providers are taught how to make the most ethical decisions by putting aside personal bias and
relying on beneficence, standard efficiency, autonomy, and justice. These principles serve as the
foundations for healthcare professionals to make fair and ethical decisions. When faced with
adversity with decisions or situations regarding a patient’s care, these principles are frequently
used to make the best decision. An additional issue to be aware of while choosing an ethical
course of action is cognitive bias. Individuals and their families have the freedom to refuse
treatment in healthcare for several reasons. Healthcare practitioners employ several
communication tactics, as well as substantial expertise, to educate patients and families on
situations that may create ethical concerns.
Case Study Summary
Chris and Jenna Smith gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Community Hospital without
complications. At five days old, they took their baby girl, Ana, to the pediatrician for a regular
checkup. During their visit, they expressed to the pediatrician their desire to raise her in the most
natural way possible. This includes solely breastfeeding for the first six months, with the goal of
extending through six months and creating their own pureed organic baby food. They also did
their own research and decided that they wanted to refuse all vaccination, despite the healthcare
community’s recommendations regarding vaccines. Her parents, who both have college degrees,
conducted their own research before concluding that the risk of vaccines outweighed the benefits.
“Americans struggle to understand the often-conflicting information in the media about whether
vaccines are safe for themselves and their children.” (Dinkins & Sorrell p. 1) While reading
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mommy blogs and other sources on the internet, they saw the rising autism rates as proof that
vaccines are dangerous and were not willing to risk that with their child.
Regardless of the increased controversy regarding whether to vaccinate, Ana’s doctor, Dr.
Angela Kerr, still recommended that their daughter receive her vaccinations. She did respectfully
listen when the parents made their wishes known to stay as natural as possible. She provided them
with multiple pieces of documentation to help their understanding of vaccinations and how the
vaccinations have created immunity for the public. Dr. Kerr explains that making vaccinations
accessible to the population has dramatically decreased child mortality and contributed to saving
millions of lives such as the decreased occurrence of flu type b. She goes into explaining the
measles outbreak which typically coincides with people who aren’t vaccinated. Bester argues that
“society is obligated to protect its children against measles; failure to do so is immoral.” (Bester
p.1)Some of the population can’t receive vaccinations due to cancer or autoimmunity disorders
which makes them more vulnerable to the diseases that are out there. The more unvaccinated
children we have, the more the risk increases of other children, the elderly, and those who are
unable to be vaccinated, getting sick.
Dr. Kerr backed up her vaccination viewpoint by giving the public with constantly
updated vaccine sources, including as the government’s Vaccination Adverse Event Reporting
System (VAERS). VAERS is a public source that allows for unbiased information about vaccine
safety by encouraging those to report when there is an adverse reaction to a vaccine. It is
sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration as well as the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. She also emphasized that at the time, there was not any reliable evidence that proved
that vaccinations cause autism or any other possible developmental issues. Despite all of Dr.
Kerr’s proof and documentation, the Smiths elected not to vaccinate their daughter, Ana. Dr. Kerr
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is faced with an ethical decision: accept the parents’ desires or act as a healthcare expert, knowing
their decision to continue not vaccinate Ana.
Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study
When analyzing this case study, Dr. Kerr is facing an ethical decision on whether to
respect the parents of Ana’s wishes to not vaccinate their child, regardless of the associated risks,
or to intervene and perform her moral obligation as a healthcare provider. Dr. Kerr used reliable
resources that educated the family on the importance of vaccinations not only to their family but
others in the community while Smith’s research consisted of unverified information on mommy
blogs that lacked scientific research to support their stance not to vaccinate. Most of their research
prior to this was based on the blogger’s personal beliefs instead of scientific facts. These concerns
may include the perceived risks of vaccinations, the expanding childhood vaccine schedule, and
the motives of industry in developing new vaccines (Williamson & Glaab, 2018). Despite all of
the information supplied by Dr. Kerr, the Smiths elected not to vaccinate Ana, putting her and the
broader community at danger of a variety of illnesses. Considering this, Dr. Kerr is unsure of how
to proceed from here as a healthcare professional in charge of making sure that the best possible
care is given to her patients.
Using the Ethical Decision-Making Model to Analyze the Case Study
The ethical decision model is a set of principles that uses three aspects to build an
individual’s ethical decision: moral awareness, moral judgment, and ethical behavior. These
elements can be used to analyze the issue that Dr. Kerr is facing with her patient. The first step is
to bring awareness to the ethical issue that concerns you as a healthcare professional. Everyone
has values that guide them to make a choice, whether right or wrong. Personal judgment plays a
part in making an ethical decision. Dr. Kerr recognizing the circumstances behind Ana’s parents
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denying the vaccine for her aids in her moral awareness. Her decision to inform her parents about
scientific evidence on kid immunizations and to seek to persuade them to vaccinate reflects her
moral judgment because she believes that vaccinating Ana is the right thing to do. Her ethical
behavior will be decided by the decisions she makes to address her ethical quandary, which will
be based on her own perception and the four elements of healthcare ethics that she should follow.
Her ethical behavior will be determined by the decisions she makes to resolve her ethical
quandary, which will be based on her personal perception and the four elements of healthcare
ethics that she should follow.
Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study
The ability to listen effectively is one of the main elements of successful patient-physician
communication. Dr. Kerr discovered the source of Ana’s concerns by listening to her parents with
an open mind. Unfortunately, the information they had discovered was not scientifically correct.
Knowing this, Dr. Kerr provided other materials using open and closed communication such as
resources from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as well as educated them using
reputable sources to back her stance that childhood vaccines would be the best route to go. Had Dr. Kerr
been unreasonable and flat-out told them that their stance on vaccinations was wrong, the Smiths could
have felt bullied and exiled from being a part of her care. They also could have removed Ana from Dr.
Kerr’s patient care entirely because they felt unheard of and belittled. Luckily, Dr. Kerr was thorough in
acknowledging their research while still providing correct information.
Applying Ethical Principles to Resolve an Ethical Problem
Healthcare providers are taught to make the most ethical decisions probable by putting
personal prejudice aside and relying on beneficence, standard efficiency, autonomy, and justice.
Respecting a person’s autonomy helps promote a person into achieving what they believe is in
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their best, in this case, the parents achieve what they believe is in the best interest of their child,
while the healthcare professional respects their privacy and confidentiality. Beneficence is defined
as acting in the best interests of the patient. Nonmaleficence ensures that the patient suffers no
harm. Justice is ensuring that all patients are treated fairly and without bias. Despite the fact that
Dr. Kerr’s personal stance on childhood vaccines is diametrically opposed to Smith’s, she used all
ethical principles to guide her decision in this matter. She did her due diligence by providing the
correct resources and respected their decision not to vaccinate. She can continue to promote trust
by maintaining a respectful attitude toward the patient and parents (Williamson & Glaab, 2018).
Dr. Kerr can do this while fostering their autonomy to make decisions for their daughter.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I respect Dr. Kerr’s ability to put aside her moral judgments and be able to
remain a professional stance to allow the family to make an informed decision regarding their
daughter’s vaccination status. She was able to apply the ethical principles of healthcare to resolve
her ethical issues. By doing this, she resolved her ethical dilemma and fostered a trusting
healthcare professional-to-patient relationship.
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References
Bester, J. C. (2018). Not a matter of parental choice but of social justice obligation: Children are
owed measles vaccination. Bioethics, 32(9), 611–619. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12511
Bester, J. C. (2018). Not a matter of parental choice but of social justice obligation: Children are
owed measles vaccination. Bioethics, 32(9), 611–619. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12511
Dinkins, C., & Sorrell, J. (2021). Ethics column: Resisting vaccination: How can nurses respond
ethically? OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1).
https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol26no01ethcol01
Incident 10: To vaccinate or not? Capella University. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2023, from
https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/nhs4000element18655/wrapper.asp
Williamson, L., & Glaab, H. (2018). Addressing vaccine hesitancy requires an ethically consistent
health strategy. BMC Medical Ethics, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-018-0322-1
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