Ethical Decision-Making Process - Assignment Example

? Due “Occam’s Razor,” an episode of “House M.D.,” originally airing in November of 2004, focuses on thecase of a young college student who calls out sick from work because of a cough and then passes out after a typical sexual encounter with his girlfriend. By the time he is hospitalized he cannot breath, his kidneys are failing, he has rashes, and a compromised immune system. Batteries of tests result in no solutions. House realizes that the student, Brandon, has systems of a drug interaction from a medication he took, possibly by accident, which someone else likely gave to him. In between diagnosing the condition of Brandon, who he has not met, he, House, is, also, seeing patients in the hospital’s Urgent Care Clinic. Most of which is he was rude and argumentative with, except one. A teenage boy with a MP3 player inserted into a completely inappropriate orifice of his body. House seems compassionate to this patient, however, he saves the delicate, necessary, and awkward extraction for his superior to attend to. He was only pleasant to keep him around to pass off his uncomfortable position to spite to another. At the conclusion of the episode everyone is well again. House was absolutely right about his diagnosis of Brandon and how he became ill.(Shore, 2004) The main character of the show is, of course, is the title character, Gregory House, although the ensemble cast is essential to the dynamics of the series. For the most part people’s immediate reaction to the character of House is that he is absent of all the traditional moral values that we rely on in our day to day lives. He is egocentric and self involved. In truth he does have a sense of humanity, given the job that he does, but it does not manifest itself in the way one might expect. Albeit he is a brilliant diagnostician that has saved lives, he also has a superiority complex provided by his so often being right. The standing question in the series, like many television show interpretations of reality, is do the ends justify the means? He is genuinely someone that is constantly testing the boundaries of his superiors, degrading his students, and antagonizing patients, and yet he is considered an asset to the hospital. In this episode he is forced to work in the Urgent Care Clinic and arrives disgruntled and complaining. In attempt to encourage the waiting patient’s to not want to be seen by him he gives a grand speech. He explains to the whole waiting room that, he is far too important to be there, he has more important cases to focus on, and he does self medicate for a pain issue, shows his prescription, and sarcastically admits that he may be compromised by the pills. (Shore, 2004) With a display like that he is hardly making a statement of professionalism and commitment to hospital policies and general courtesy. The character House has a non-traditional ethical approach, quite atypical within healthcare professions. He would seem to readily possess some elements of utilitarian ethical theory, in that it fulfills the need to achieve a successful outcome; it avoids all of the rules and regulatory restrictions that may deny someone control of the situation. He seems to, also, show high signs of motivist theory, as well. The motivist ethical theory are not based on any absolute values, they believe the intention of, or the reason that motivated, the act is what is paramount. ("Ethical theoretical systems," 2011) This ethical theory, also, leads to rationalizations of those decisions, which is a trademark of the character House. “Making good ethical decisions require sensitivity to ethical issues and practiced method for exploring the ethical aspects of a decision and weighing the considerations that should impact our choice of a course of action.”("A framework for," 2005) However, as far as House is concerned weighing and considering the facts is one thing, but the need for sensitivity and ethics are not really a part of the equation. At one point in this episode, in an effort to solve the Brandon’s unknown illness, he approaches the parents for information. When the father questions how he can treat a patient he has not even met, his response was quick. “It easy…if you don’t give a crap.”(Shore, 2004) This statement releases him and the audience from expecting traditional ethical decision making; not to mention rules upon rules concerning professionalism that are broken. The ensemble cast is very diverse and they all approach and react to House differently. His superior, Lisa Cuddy, see his outbursts, defiance of policy, and “round-about ethics” as an amusing game. A game where they work to make each other miserable. His students admire his work, but they do not always like or agree with him. Overall, those around him seem to be taking the ethical view of pragmatism. (Shore, 2004) The hospital sees the benefits of his knowledge outweighing the problems and disagreeable behaviors he presents. The staff, similarly, perceives the amazing diagnostic skills that positively affect the patient’s, they would love to gain, overshadows all that they must put up with Dr. House as their boss. In some ways the staff often attempts to cover for him. They could never repeat much of the things he says about the patient’s or the legality of many of the things that he does. From an artistic, writing stand point, the staff, replace the moral, compassion, and just elements that he is so often missing; it is they that bridge the gap and between he and the patients. In the end, House is a brilliant television show with a brilliant lead character. Whether you love him or hate him his cowboy vigilante approach appeals to people within the confines of a good story. It goes without saying that in the world outside television House’s temperament, disrespect, and flagrant disregard for rules would make him a poor candidate to remain employed, regardless of his talents. However, in television he has the freedom to do things as his way and he, almost, always gets it absolutely correct. When someone is truly as good as they say they are, what ethics, rules, and regulations are we willing to overlook and ignore to attain a positive outcome; and, in the context of the show, save lives? References Ethical theoretical systems. (2011, February 1). Retrieved from http://www.netce.com/coursecontent.php?courseid=700 A framework for thinking ethically. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html Shore, D. (Writer) (2004). Occam's razor [Television series episode]. In Shore, D. (Executive Producer), House M.D.. Los Angeles, Ca: 20th Century Fox. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title Read More