Hlt 520 - Ethical Study Review

Ethical Study Review

Germaine Lewis

HLT-520

January 24th, 2018

Karen Rice

Ethical Study Review

The first step in ethical decision making is to gather the facts and try to be as unbiased as possible. In order for our moral judgement to be clear, we should try to gather the facts in this case without taking sides and review the case from each side with all the information possible.  The dilemma here is whether you agree with the nursing staff that what the patient’s daughter is doing is causing him more harm than good or do you agree with the patient’s daughter that she is helping her father and you see that what she is doing is helping him.

As I am the one they have turned to for help in this situation, I have a very big ethical dilemma. How do I convey to this patient’s daughter that we, the hospital staff, fear for the life of the patient and what she is doing to him? She is a naturopathic physician who believes in using therapeutic methods and elements to promote healing. She believes in what she is doing and that she is helping her father despite the way he presents.

The issue here is to figure out a way to get the point across that we all want what is best for the patient and decide the course of treatment for him and what exactly can be done to keep him comfortable without fear of causing harm to the patient. Communicating with the patient may be the way to go in convincing the daughter that we all need to come up with a solution.

The first thing I need to do is decide what decision needs to be made before I examine the patient, talk with him and discuss how he feels and what he thinks about the situation. I need to look at the facts of the case which is how the patient presents and what my staff is saying about his condition and what they think needs to be done or can be done for this patient as well as the prognosis.

Seeing that I am not very familiar with the type of work a naturopathic physician does, I need to do some research about what exactly it is and what kind of help she can provide to our patient and also what harm can be done as well. Discuss with my staff what they see is happening with the patient and what happens when he is treated with the naturopathic remedies.