Addressing Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare: Case Study Essay

This essay delves into an ethical dilemma within the healthcare field, focusing on the principles of respect for autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. It examines how these principles are applied to address conflicts in the workplace, supported by real-life examples and case studies. The essay discusses various ethical theories, including deontology, utilitarianism, rights-based ethics, and virtue ethics, as frameworks for decision-making. It highlights issues surrounding human dignity and rights, emphasizing the importance of ethical principles in patient care. The case study explores the ethical conflict of veracity, specifically, the fraud committed by a primary healthcare center manager, leading to the potential closure of the center. It then discusses the professional code of conduct, the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights, and the responsibilities of healthcare workers in addressing such issues. The essay emphasizes the significance of upholding ethical standards and protecting patient rights within healthcare settings. The essay provides insights into resolving ethical conflicts, ensuring quality service, and fulfilling the needs of patients. The essay uses relevant ethical theories and principles to provide a legally and ethically defensible approach to addressing the identified ethical conflict.

AN ETHICAL
DILEMMA

·INTRODUCTION
This is aimed at developing and addressing the principles which effectively guide the
health professionals to work in an ethical manner. This ethical dilemma confuses the human
mind in choosing their alternatives which are morally accepted and choosing one among the
another. The current problem is aimed at dealing with four major principles which are as
follows: such as the respect for autonomy, Benefiecence, Nonmaleficence and the justice. The
discussion is about the fact that how these principles ares used to addressed and how these
principles are helpful in dealing with the conflicts so arisen in the workplace. This is justified
with the best real life examples and can be explained with the help of the case studies. This is
aimed in one direction which is fulfilling the needs of patients and providing them with the
better quality of service and care.
·ETHICAL DILEMMA
An ethical dilemma is a state of confusion in the minds with respect of choosing among
the two morally acceptable options or choosing two unacceptable options. This dilemma occurs
because of the fact that both the options cannot be chosen together. Opting one option foregoes
the another option and this is the reason why the dilemma occurs (Monrouxe, 2017). The
occurrences of ethical dilemmas are not necessary occurred in the minds of just the doctors, it
can be there in the minds of nurses, people, family members, medical staff etc. The main aim is
to get rid of the ethical dilemmas and to conquer the same via a means of ethical means and not
following the unethical means of solving or getting out of those dilemmas.
Ethics basically means resolving the two conflicting issues with the help of some moral
principles which one has learned principle is basically is guiding force towards the achievement
of objectives. The main reason why these conflicts arise is because of the mindset of two
different individuals (Mandal, 2017). As individuals perceive things differently. Hence the main
conflict is because of the priority order which I set in the minds of people regarding the
principles and this result into conflicts.
Ethics exist everywhere. The workplace ethics is a practice of following the ethics even
at the workplace. Ethical dilemmas in the health care mean the conflicting behaviors that have
the potential of becoming a problem. For example: nurse not responding to the relatives about

the patient condition as per their professional ethics becomes a conflict in the mind of the
relatives. There are various ethical dilemmas faced by the patients, family members, staff
includes the following such as decisions regarding the life end, confidentiality of the
professional people, conflicts with the providers of health care, regarding pain control (Lind
Irgens, 2016). Clashes between the family members and the doctors are seemed to be very
common.
·ETHICAL THEORY
There are various ethical theories which acts as a guidance for decision making. These
are: Deontology, means adherence to the duties. This aims that each [person should follow their
obligations and they should never disobey the principles that are particularly on them. Another
thoery is of Utilitarianism, this is predicting one, ability to predict the consequences of the
action and hence comparing the consequences against each other and aims at achieving the
maximum benefit for the act done (Meslin, 2015).
Another ethical theory is based on the Rights, and is aimed at protecting the rights of the
people and giving them the highest priority. The rights and duties of the individuals must be
taken care of and the action must be directed towards them. The Ethical theory of Virtue, this
means it is based on the judgment of the person on the basis of the situations which are
considered ethical and which are not.
·ISSUES REGARDING HUMAN DIGNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS
There are various issues regarding the human dignity and the human rights. Human
dignity refers to the respect for the human being whereas on the other hand, human rights are the
fundamental rights which are entitled to all the individuals and the same is not judged by their
capabilities. This is given to them by birth. There are various ethical principles which includes
the Respect for the Persons convey two important message which are that the individuals should
be treated with dignity and the people should not be biased on the basis of their caste, gender etc.
and the second message being the people with less powers should not be defined (Kotalik, 2016).
In short, this means giving respect to all the people and not segregating them on any basis. The
people with fewer powers are needed to be given with extensive protection so that they do not
feel diminished.

·ETHICAL PRINCIPLES
Another principle is of Beneficence, which that just by respecting the decisions and
protecting the people will not serve their purpose; the efforts should be laid on securing their
well being. This can be done by providing them with the maximum benefits and also aims at
reducing the harms which can otherwise be caused to them. Hence this principle lays in the
hands o the doctors as well as the medical staff to protect the interests of the patients by adopting
the ethical measures. This does not mean to check the status only once it means regular
monitoring the people and do good to them becomes a part of their duty. This means that the
doctors should suggest the patients in the correct way by diagnosing everything without
checking the patients health no such decisions should be taken.
The next principle is that of the Nonmaleficence, which exactly means do not harm
meaning that the physician in order to cure the patient by injecting vaccine Tetanus, but this
same can be treated as maleficence when the same cure by injecting a needle through the skin
which in turn causing pain and that arises the possibility of side effects and infection. Another
principle being Justice, this means the fairness in the part of distribution of the benefits of
distributing the benefits. The injustice occurs when the benefits which are deserved by the
people are not given to them for any good reason (Monrouxe, 2017). The pressurized situation also
comes under this category. In this case, the concern is the distribution of the scarce medical
resources and who shall be treated first. Here the main concern lies with conquering the
inequality and treating the people with same respect and not distinguishing them on any basis.
Hence these principles should be followed at the workplace.
Another principle is of Autonomy, it means that the adult has the capacity and the
freedom of taking its own decisions and has the right to know what is exactly done to his body.
As individuals go to doctor for the guidance or for knowing what are going through and if the
patient feels that the treatment given to him is not helpful or is dangerous he may ask the doctors
to stop the same and on the part of the doctors it is very important for the patients to have full
information about the disease and also about the treatment given to them. But the principle of
autonomy comes only with the competence and the capacity of the persons to make the
decisions. This can not only be judged with the age of the person. This can be decided only on
the basis of knowledge possessed by the patients of the disease pertaining to them. Hence this is

left on the part of the physicians to decide the capacity and competence of the patients and base
their decisions accordingly on these grounds.
·INTERTPRETATION OF THE CASE STUDY
According to the chosen case study number sixth, the main issue here is of Veracity,
which means that the issue is regarding the fraud on the part of the Center manager. As in this
case as the primary health care center is the only center in the locality and close down of that
center will increase lot many problems in that area as this primary health care center is the only
center and the other nearby center would be seventy kilometers away and that will in turn
increase the problems of the local people (Chaar, 2015). As the center was engaged in providing
the facilities to the people of marginalized backgrounds who suffer from the chronic diseases
and these people will have no access to the center as they lack financial resources to approach a
big and renowned hospital. Because of the fraud done by the center manager as using the budget
for his own financial gain leads to the shutdown of the center which will in turn cause problem
to lot many people. Hence this issue should be seen by the authorities as this is against the
professional code of conduct. Because of the closedown, not only the teal but many people will
get affected by it. Hence this matter should be disclosed to the higher authorities and necessary
actions should be taken and efforts should be made to pass the budget for the better functioning
of the health care center for the benefit of the people residing in that area as the center manager
cannot be dismissed from the job as he is a great asset to the health care center as his knowledge
and experience cannot be challenged.
·PROFESSIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT
To address this issue there is a code of conduct which one has to follow to be in the
boundaries. The professional code of conduct is the support that is expected from the health care
workers. The code of conduct outlines the behaviors and attitudes of the health care personnel
which one can expect to experience and this code of conduct makes sure about the patients
safety, and the ongoing care and support. The code of conduct is not applied to them by force
this is assumed to have followed for the sake of better services (Rogers,2015). The professional
code of conduct basically binds all the workers and gives them the direction to proceed further.

The code of conduct for the health care workers in Australia includes the following
clauses which are as follows- the services provided by the health care workers should be safe and
the manner in which they are conducted is ethical in approach. Any treatment which is done by
them is only after obtaining the consent from the person as if the consent is not obtained and the
treatment is proceeded then even the legal actions can be taken against them on the account of
lack of prior knowledge on the part of the health care workers. The main task o the health care
worker is to make the required facilities available to the person and make the person know about
the disease and taking further permissions and approvals for proceeding with the treatment after
informing all the outcomes which can occur. In the adverse conditions the health care person
should work with utmost care and caution and should take appropriate actions to make the entire
situation in control.
Health care workers should never mislead the people about the intensity of the disease
and the financial resources which will be required by them to diagnose the disease. They should
not exploit the patients financially by demanding higher amount of pay for the treatment. The
health care workers should not discriminate between the patients on the basis of their caste,
color, gender or any other grounds. The confidentiality which they are expected to maintain
should be followed by them they should not reveal their practices outside the boundaries.
·CHARTER OF HEALTH CARE
When such things are asked to follow, the burden arises when some of these are not
followed and such things are taken care of by the authorities. One such name is Australian
Charter Of Healthcare Rights which was developed in 2007 and 2008 with the aim of providing
the patients with the extensive resources and making them aware about their rights and duties
when they are taking any health care services. This charter helps the patients, consumers, and the
families and guiding them to proceed (Herbert, 2105). The basic aim is to help the people come
together and work towards the safety and also aims at providing a high class facility to the
patients.
The above charter is based on three main principles which are: firstly the access to this
available to everyone and on the basis of that each and every person can address his or her needs
and desire regarding the same. The second principle is the commitment given by the Australian

Government to protect the basic human rights of the individuals and every individual has the
right to seek the highest standard of mental and the physical health. Lastly the third principle is
about the respect which is expected to be given by the health care workers to the people
irrespective of the fact that they belong to different cultures and backgrounds and treating all the
people in the same way without and discrimination done on them.
·CONCLUSION
Further various principles about the privacy of one’s personal information is not allowed
to be disclosed among the people. There should be proper communication done about the
disease, treatment, services and the costs which are expected to incur in the due course of time.
Any compliant or concern of the people on the account of any health care provided to them or to
their family members shall be addressed by the proper authority quickly and promptly.

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