Analysis of Ethical Communication in Healthcare: A Case Study Report

This report presents a case study analyzing ethical communication within the healthcare industry. It focuses on a scenario involving end-of-life care, specifically addressing the ethical implications of withholding nutrition through a feeding tube. The report examines the complexities of ethical decision-making, considering the patient's wishes, the role of healthcare providers, and legal and ethical frameworks. It highlights the conflict between the desire to alleviate suffering and the ethical and legal constraints surrounding euthanasia and the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. The analysis emphasizes the importance of ethical principles in healthcare, the need for clear communication, and the significance of respecting patient autonomy and wishes, especially when they are not documented. The report also discusses the ethical considerations related to a healthcare professional's duties and responsibilities in such situations.

Running head: HEALTH CARE ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
Health care ethical communication
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1HEALTH CARE ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
In the health care industry, the impact of the ethical conduct is extremely crucial. As
health care professionals we encounter many scenarios where a strong ethical dilemma halts us
in the process of decision making and complicates the health care delivery for us. With my
experience of ethical decision making, I will attempt to help you both take the ethically
justifiable and legal decision regarding your mother, Barbara. I would implore you to understand
that Barbara had been an active grandmother, whose life depended entirely on her grandchildren.
Even though, the stroke has deteriorated her health completely, she still is the same active sweet
mother and grandmother. As care providers we understand your pain and despair at watching
Barbara suffer everyday and the feeding tube exacerbate her conditions further when it is meant
to help her, your wishes to end all her sufferings are associated with cutting her off of the only
source of nutrition.
Allow me to highlight a few key aspects about the decision you both have readied to take.
Note the fact, that removing the feeding tube from Barbara will be an act of withholding
nutrition and medication. This action will also be directly proportional to starving your mother to
death. The feeding tube is the only thing providing her with a source of nutrition to her, the lack
of which will starve her cells and lead to tissue necrosis, followed by organ failure and ultimately
death. This act directly violates the professional and nursing ethics, and along with that this
action will be indirect euthanasia. Let me inform you that such acts can only be performed if the
patient in a conscious state expresses her wish to end her life or has left a clear living will
expressing a conscious decision to discontinue life support when facing impending death.
Although, we have heard your side of the story that she had once stated she never wanted to defy
God’s plan of life and death, as there is no legal document to back her verbal wishes, it will be
neither ethical not legally feasible for us to carry out your wishes, for which we are deeply sorry

2HEALTH CARE ETHICAL COMMUNICATION
and sympathetic.