Ethical Dilemmas

 Introduction

Ethical dilemmas can be a common part of working in health and social care, where all professionals often face difficult decisions that don’t always have a clear right or wrong answer (Ahuja et al., 2024). These situations require careful consideration of various factors, including the well-being of the individuals involved, legal obligations, and moral principles. Effective communication and collaboration among team members are crucial in navigating these challenges and reaching the best possible outcomes.

What Is an Ethical Dilemma?

An ethical dilemma is when an individual has to decide between two different actions, both of which seem reasonable but may lead to different outcomes. For instance, a care worker supporting an elderly woman with dementia who refuses to take her medication. Should the care worker respect her decision and risk her health? Or should they intervene for her safety? Both actions can be justified (Haddad and Geiger, 2023). Which is what makes the decision difficult. This is when reflection and critical thinking become essential.

Why Thinking Twice Matters

Reflection means stepping back to think about the situation carefully (Koshy, 2017). What does the individual want? What does the law say? How might others around be affected? Critical thinking means asking the right questions, looking at all the possible outcomes, and not just acting on instinct or emotion.

The Challenge of Online Advice

In today’s digital environment, social media brings a new type of ethical dilemma. More people are turning to platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram for health tips and advice. While some of the content is helpful, a lot of it can be confusing, misleading, or even harmful (Chen and Wang, 2021).

Recently I came across a video where someone claimed they cured their depression just by changing their mindset and stopping their medication. The person who gave the advice wasn’t a doctor or mental health professional, just a popular influencer. Imagine if a vulnerable person saw that video and followed the same advice; it could have serious consequences.

Some health professionals even share safe, helpful information themselves online. But they have to be careful to maintain professional boundaries and protect confidentiality when using online platforms.

 Supporting Without Losing Trust

These kinds of situations create a real challenge for people working in health and social care. What should we do when someone we support starts following dangerous online advice? How do we respond without damaging their trust?

One way to help is by educating people about how to spot reliable health information online. We can encourage them to check if the person giving advice is qualified in that field and whether the advice is based on real evidence. We can also guide them to trusted sources like the NHS or mental health charities (Griffith et al., 2020).

How Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle Helped Me

Using Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle (1988) has become really helpful in breaking down these difficult situations step by step. It encourages me to describe what happened, explore my feelings, evaluate what went well or badly, and analyse the bigger picture. Then I can conclude what I learnt and plan how to handle similar dilemmas better in the future (The University of Edinburgh, 2024). This structured reflection gives me confidence to face ethical challenges thoughtfully and professionally.

 What I’m Learning from All This

As a student studying health and social care management, I’ve realised how important it is to think before reacting. Learning from real situations, working environments, and class discussions has helped me understand the bigger picture. It’s not just about following rules; it’s about doing what’s right for the individual in front of you. This holistic approach allows me to consider the unique needs of each person, fostering a sense of empathy and respect (Zamanzadeh, 2015).

As I continue my studies, I aim to deepen my understanding of ethical frameworks and enhance my ability to advocate for those who may not have a voice in their care.

 Conclusion

Ethical dilemmas, whether in real life or online, don’t always have simple solutions. But by reflecting carefully and thinking critically, we can make safer and more informed decisions. These skills help protect the people we care for and stay true to the values of health and social care.

Overall, it’s all about putting people first and using knowledge, empathy, and judgement to do the right thing, even when it’s hard.

Reference list

Ahuja, D., Batra, P., Bhatia, O. and Singh, A.K. (2024). Ethical Dilemmas and Conventionalism in Healthcare: A Scoping Review. Cureus, 16(9). doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.69693.

Chen, J. and Wang, Y. (2021). Social media usage for health purposes: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, [online] 23(5). doi:https://doi.org/10.2196/17917.

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Oxford Further Education Unit.

Griffith, D.M., Bergner, E.M., Fair, A.S. and Wilkins, C.H. (2020). Using mistrust, distrust, and low trust precisely in medical care and medical research advances health equity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, [online] 60(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.08.019.

Haddad, L. and Geiger, R. (2023). Nursing ethical considerations. [online] National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/.

Koshy, K. (2017). Reflective Practice in Health Care and How to Reflect Effectively. International Journal of Surgery Oncology, [online] 2(6), pp.1–3. doi:https://doi.org/10.1097/IJ9.0000000000000020.

The University of Edinburgh (2024). Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle. [online] The University of Edinburgh. Available at: https://reflection.ed.ac.uk/reflectors-toolkit/reflecting-on-experience/gibbs-reflective-cycle.

Zamanzadeh, V. (2015). Effective Factors in Providing Holistic care: a Qualitative Study. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, [online] 21(2), pp.214–224. doi:https://doi.org/10.4103%2F0973-1075.156506.

 


Comments

  1. Rashid Kigozi27 July 2025 at 14:03

    • You’ve established a good foundation in exploring ethical dilemmas.
    • To strengthen your analysis, critically examine how ethical principles play out in real-world situations.
    • Focus on specific dilemmas like confidentiality or conflicts between autonomy and legal duties.
    • Use clear examples to show how ethical principles can clash and require careful decision-making.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jane Wouhra27 July 2025 at 16:28

    You have given a clear and relatable look at ethical dilemmas, using real life examples, like social media advice and medication refusal. You have also made good use of Gibbs Reflective Cycle, demonstrating that thinking things through can lead to better decisions. Some parts could go deeper and use stronger more precise language. Maybe add a bit more theory or link points to real policies/guidelines, this would benefit your blog and make it more convincing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SOZIA KHAN AKHTAR2 August 2025 at 11:47

    This is a really good piece of writing that shows you understand the difficult choices people face in health and social care work. Your example about social media advice makes the topic easy to understand and relate to. You did well using Gibbs' Reflective Cycle to think through problems step by step. Your writing shows you care about doing what's best for the people you support. The way you explain complex ideas in simple terms makes your work clear and easy to follow. Well done on this thoughtful reflection.

    ReplyDelete
  4. thestranger3 August 2025 at 07:02

    The piece provides a thoughtful exploration of ethical dilemmas in health and social care, but there are minor weaknesses. Some sections, like “Why Thinking Twice Matters,” lack in-text citations to support key concepts, which reduces academic rigour. The example of the dementia patient is well-chosen but could be expanded with clearer application of ethical principles like autonomy and beneficence. The phrase “Supporting Without Losing Trust” reads more like advice than reflective analysis, which slightly shifts tone. Additionally, the use of informal language (e.g., “Think Twice”) might be too casual for academic writing. Lastly, a few minor grammar issues and inconsistencies in referencing formatting (e.g., use of full stops and spacing) should be corrected for clarity and polish.

    ReplyDelete

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