Ethical Dilemmas

What is ethical dilemma?

An ethical dilemma is a conflict between alternatives where no matter what choice a person makes some ethical principles will be compromised. Choosing between 2 of your favourite shirts, deciding what have for dinner, picking Netflix show, life is full of decisions However these small choices are quite different than ethical decisions. Which involves analyse different options, eliminating those, with unethical decisions and choosing the best ethical alternative. For those who are unfamiliar, ethics are standards of right and wrong that acts as a guide what human should do (Rachels & Rachels 2019). Ethics outlines the code of behaviour for individuals and societal groups. And are typically framed as virtues, duties or socially acceptable actions. However, ethics are also guided by laws, cultural norms, policies, personal experiences and religious traditions. So doing the right thing is a combination of personal, professional and societal ethics.

 

Ethical Dilemmas in Health and social care

Limitation of available resources

One of the most common ethical dilemmas is the allocation of limited resources. When it comes to organ donation, for instance, healthcare providers must decide who should receive the donor organ. If a younger patient and an older patient with a history of alcoholism both require a liver transplant, who should receive the organ? This decision requires considering the patient's medical need against their lifestyle and potential outcomes (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).

Another ethical dilemma is patient confidentiality; healthcare providers have a duty to protect their patients' privacy, but there are some complications as well. If a patient's family requests that they should not be informed about their medical condition, the nurse should respect the patient's right to know despite the family's wishes. This can be very tricky under some laws which strictly regulate patient, s privacy (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).

End-of-Life Care Problems

 There may be difficult arguments when someone is near death. Sometimes a patient just wants to be comfortable because they know they are going to die. They don't want physicians to give them painful but unsuccessful treatments. Their loved ones may desire the medical staff to do everything in their power to keep them alive.

This puts healthcare staff in a difficult position. While they must honour the patient's wishes, but they understand the family's distress as well.

Open communication about the situation is the best course of action. To help the patient and family understanding the condition, the entire medical team should collaborate.

COVID-19 Vaccination Issues

Hospitals made obligatory vaccinations for all their employees during the COVID pandemic. This caused a huge problem because some healthcare staff was against those vaccines due to their individual point of view of effectiveness and religious beliefs.

Is it reasonable to require healthcare professionals to get vaccinated even if they choose not to. On the other hand, vaccinated employees help prevent the virus from spreading and make patients safer. So, this was a clear contradiction of that individuals should have right to be able to choose their own medical choices.

Reporting an incompetent Co-worker

Reporting about your colleague to the manager is another ethical challenge. If a healthcare professional notices that a colleague is neglecting their professional duties due to substance abuse or mental health issues, they should report it to ensure patient safety.

Truth telling

There are ethical dilemmas around truth telling as well. Should a nurse disclose a patient’s full medical condition if it might cause them undue stress? or should they withhold information to protect the patient’s emotional wellbeing? These decisions require careful consideration of the patient’s right to know and the potential risks of disclosure.

These examples show the complicated and often life and death decisions healthcare professionals make daily. Each situation requires careful consideration of ethical principles, patient’s autonomy, and the broader implication for healthcare and society.

 

Ethical Dilemma: Privacy vs. Public Safety on Social Media

A mental health counsellor finds out that a teenage has posted some disturbing content on Instagram with self-harm intentions, he includes some Fotos of his previous injuries as well. The post went viral and got a lot of comments on it especially from his worried friends

The counsellor has two essential duties that are incompatible:

·       Don't leak the client's personal details.

·       Ensure that the client is safe and unharmed.

This is made more difficult by social media now a days, when private thoughts are shared publicly for everyone to see (Arendt et al., 2019).

Possible Solutions

Speak with the Client: Give the teen a call or arrange a meeting but be kind and nice instead of outraged. Inquire about the posts and give assistance.

Create a safety plan: Together with the teen, establish guidelines for responsible social media use. Assist them in selecting reliable internet buddies who can support them in difficult situations.

Get Family Help: Speak with the teen's parents if they concur. Instruct the family on how to spot red flags on the internet and how to assist without losing confidence.

Use the Help Tools on Websites: In order to report instances of self-harm, the majority of social media platforms, such as Instagram, include dedicated buttons. These tools can provide assistance without violating privacy regulations.

 

 

References

Rachels, J. & Rachels, S. 2019, The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 9th edn, McGraw-Hill Education, New York.

Beauchamp, T.L. & Childress, J.F. (2019) Principles of biomedical ethics (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Arendt, F., Scherr, S., & Romer, D. (2019). Effects of exposure to self-harm on social media: Evidence from a two-wave panel study among young adults. New Media & Society, 21(11-12), 2422-2442.