NUR222 Task 3 Case Study: Applying Law and Ethics to Healthcare

This case study examines the ethical and legal dilemmas surrounding the case of Joseph Jones, a 52-year-old patient with terminal lung cancer who refuses treatment. The analysis delves into relevant ethical principles such as non-maleficence, professional ethical standards, and Australian legislation related to public health law. It also explores relevant case law concerning the delivery of healthcare services and available options under the Fair Work Act 2009. The study concludes that while patients have the right to make their own healthcare decisions, continuous refusal of treatment can pose challenges to professional ethics and codes of conduct. The analysis is supported by a range of academic references.

Health law
and ethics

Table of content
Introduction
The problem and involve parties
Relevant ethical principle
Professional ethical standard
Australian legislation related with case study
Relevant case law related with case study
Available option and related with case study
Conclusion
References

Introduction
 Law and ethics is defined as the complementary social
institution which is based on society and this help to public
health mediate conflict and issue that based on question.
 As per this, the community based interest which have optimum
configuration which show path of relation which is based on
individual and the community with interest in health and about
the appropriate scope and means of public health (Abualigah
and et. al., 2020).

The problem and involves parties
 Joseph jones is 52-year-old and he lived in sunshine coast for their
rest of life. As per this, he faces some of issue which is associated
with terminal lung cancer.
 Moreover, the issue and problem which is associated with this case
study is based on decision of treatment where Joseph did not want
any type of treatment due complexities of disease which is related
with lung cancer.
 In this, they deny to take any kind of treatment which may be
associated with pain assessment and antibiotic treatment which is
also refused by Joseph.

Relevant ethical principle
 It is important to understand the ethical dilemma because nurse and doctor are majorly associated with ethical
dilemma. In Australia, there are basically five principles which is must followed in the healthcare sector.
 As per this, there are some of the deviation is also observed with correlating this principle with the case study of
Joseph and healthcare professional.
 Moreover, it is divided into three section which is underpinned by five fundamental principles of integrity,
objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality and professional behaviour is also part of
professional ethics

Professional ethical standard
 With this case study, it is identified that there are some
of ethical principle which allow Joseph and healthcare
practitioner which can create issue and problem. In this,
ethical principle which used to support both parties are
mentioned below:
 Non-maleficence: It is defined as obligation of a
physician not to harm patient. As per this, they are
simply support principle which have several moral rules
which include do not kill, do not cause pain or suffering,
in this, they do not cause offence.

Australian legislation related with case
study.
 Public health law: In this, the public health law plays vital role
in development of quality of care and quality of health.
 As per this, the main purpose of the legislation is to improve
quality of life to all by providing quality of care.
 With respect to case study, it is identified as the Joseph refuse to
take proper treatment and deny to take appropriate medication
which is beneficial for the health.

Relevant case law related with case
study
 Delivery of healthcare services: As per the analysis of case study, healthcare professional follows appropriate law
which enable the delivery of services.
 In this, healthcare professional used to develop new treatment plan which is related with the drug and medication
delivery such as use of antibiotic and steroid which help to prevent the infection and metastasis phase which is
associated with lung cancer.
 In this, the major of death and mortality rate is enhance due the impact of cancer.

Available option and related with case
study
 The Fair Work Act 2009: This fair work act enables various
systematic flow in the department for completing their function and
developing quality based service which is associated with work.
 In this, Act allow number of people to do their work on the basis of
code of ethic and code of conduct, this is standard operating
procedure.
 However, the healthcare professional also follows fair work act, as
per the case study, healthcare professional follow code of conduct
and code of ethics approaching Joseph for the treatment who used to
take deny every aspect of treatment.

Conclusion
 As per the above discussion, it is analysing that the people have their
own choices to take decision for their health and they without their
consent the healthcare professional did not provide any healthcare
service.
 As per this, with aspect to case, the continuous refusal of treatment
without any concern or issue can disturb the professional ethics and
code of conduct.

References
 Abualigah and et. al., 2020. Sentiment analysis in healthcare: a brief review. Recent Advances in NLP: The Case of
Arabic Language, pp.129-141.
 Busse and et. al., 2017. Statutory health insurance in Germany: a health system shaped by 135 years of solidarity, self-
governance, and competition. The Lancet, 390(10097), pp.882-897.
 Ellis and et. al., 2018. Statement on minimum standards for the care of older people in emergency departments by the
Geriatric Emergency Medicine Special Interest Group of the International Federation for Emergency
Medicine. Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20(3), pp.368-369.
 Ellis and et. al., 2019. Patterns of resilience: a scoping review and bibliometric analysis of resilient health care. Safety
Science, 118, pp.241-257.

References
 Heresi and et. al., 2017. Healthcare burden of pulmonary hypertension owing to lung disease and/or hypoxia. BMC
pulmonary medicine, 17(1), pp.1-10.
 Offeddu and et. al., 2017. Effectiveness of masks and respirators against respiratory infections in healthcare workers: a
systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 65(11), pp.1934-1942.
 Ramsay and et. al., 2019. Health care while homeless: barriers, facilitators, and the lived experiences of homeless
individuals accessing health care in a Canadian regional municipality. Qualitative Health Research, 29(13), pp.1839-
1849.
 Willen and et. al., 2017. Syndemic vulnerability and the right to health. The Lancet, 389(10072), pp.964-977.