Ethical Dilemmas Reflections - Essay Example

Faced with this task, I developed a close relationship with her family for I was the most approachable practitioner whom they could seek information from regarding their relative’s progress. However, despite the professionalism I employed in aiding this patient, eventually, she ended up taking her life thus distressing their relatives even more despite hoping for the best.

Despite this incident, the parents managed to bear with the reality though complicating it further by requesting me as an expert to eulogize their daughter during her funeral. They needed me to talk well of her, especially during the time she was undergoing medication, which entailed even distorting medical documents to show she did not commit suicide. This is contrary to a medical practitioner’s ethics for we are compelled to relay the truth to clients though with astuteness such that the information will not worsen their predicament. I cannot deny at first due to the closeness I had with Jenny’s parents was almost giving in to the idea but my consciousness besides what I am supposed to adhere to; found me in a dilemma. I struggled with this aspect for some time without knowing what to tell the parents but eventually saw it was better that I excuse myself citing other responsibilities. I also made them know my decline despite being tied up by other essential tasks was to safeguard Jenny’s dignity despite being dead.

Generally, ethical events result from various situations. An example of an ethical event may be a situation whereby a professional limits a client’s right to self-determination against their wishes. For instance, this situation may arise when a social worker fights for involuntary psychiatric hospitalization of a client/patient who happens to be troubled.

Sarah, a social worker, for years, had been serving her community by assisting with mental visuals. Often, she would assist mentally ill patients with begetting to psychiatric hospitalization. For patients with families, she would ensure the family's consent before the patient got hospitalized. For mentally ill patients who had no family, she would also ensure they got hospitalized, with or without their consent. Generally, Sarah believed that mentally ill individuals were not in the right position to make proper decisions; therefore, she felt no need of seeking their consent before hospitalizing them.

With constant service to the community, Sarah gained appreciation, respect, and popularity from the members of her community. However, organizations that focused on human rights and social well-being were constantly not, for what Sarah was doing. These firms contend that Sarah, as a proficient, ignored ethical standards since she did not mind seeking patients’ consent before hospitalizing them. Generally, they branded Sarah’s activities as unethical and even decided to seek legal action. This resulted in Sinah constantly going to court despite her intentions for hospitalizing the patients being of no ill motive. Additionally, the mental hospital responsible for hospitalizing the patients was also on the receiving end. The organizations argued that they assumed the issue of consent.

Certainly, the best way to avoid this situation or to solve depended on Sarah respecting the rights of the patients and finding a proper way of convincing them to accept hospitalization. Professionals should not let their feelings dictate the fate of their clients; rather they must respect the rights of their clients despite their mental status, race, age, socio-economic status, or level of education (Dolgoff, Frank, & Donna, 14).