Ethical Dilemma Nursing - Assignment Example

As doctors, their duty is to save the life of the patients. Moreover, the sanctity of life is an important factor that should be respected by one and all. The second dilemma is the ethical issues involved in the patient’s consent with regard to his treatment. Patient’s autonomy to decide about his medication and his welfare has increasingly become a critical issue within the medical field. Medical paternalism is also a strong issue here. Dr. House is famous for his brilliant but unconventional methods and therefore, his beliefs that he knows more than patients, reveals his paternalistic attitude.

Last but not the least important dilemma is that of non-maleficence which dissuades doctors to deliberately harm the patients. These are crucial issues which pose serious challenges for the medical team that is treating Dr. Ezra, especially when they are asked to stop the test and put him to sleep. Answer 2 Dr. House ignores Dr. Ezra’s request for stopping further tests and his demand for euthanasia. The two main ethical principles that can be applied to support Dr. House’s actions are medical beneficence and Kantian’s theory of deontology.

The principle of beneficence and non-maleficence are important ethical issues within the medical field that support Dr. House’s actions. . Kantian’s deontology promotes the concept that the motives of actions always be right and towards the wider benefit of the people (Schneewind, 1990). Acting appropriately at all times, therefore, becomes a key issue that is not concerned with the consequences but the acts which are carried out with good motives. In this case, the House’s major concern was to diagnose the cause of the worsening medical condition of Dr. Ezra. Therefore, his insistence on the tests was aimed at giving relief to Dr.

Ezra through diagnosis. House believed that the test would help him to find the cause and equip him with knowledge and information to start the right treatment and correct medication which would help the patient to fully recover. Answer 3 As a nurse, I would not condone Dr. House’s actions mainly because of two ethical principles: the patient has a right to make a decision about his treatment. Patient’s consent is very important that not only shows that he is aware of the pros and con of the treatment and therefore, but his agreement or refusal is also an empowered decision.

In this case, Dr. Ezra himself was a renowned medical professional who knew the futility of tests and therefore had asked the team to stop the treatment. Dr. House’s contention that he knows best, defy the basic module of the patient’s autonomy. Furthermore, House was not sure of the diagnosis and all his test were just blind guesses for coming to a definite conclusion. The test could also have an adverse impact on Dr. Ezra’s conditions. Hence, my belief that Dr. House’s actions were not right.

Secondly, the utilitarian theory of Bentham proposes that actions should give happiness to the maximum number of people (Rosentand, 2002).