ETHICAL DECISIONS

Models for Making Ethical Decisions in Social Care



Models for Making Ethical Decisions in Social Care

Introduction

Ethical decision making is a process of steps that involve helpful ways to think, take action, respond, and take responsibility for those actions and their outcomes. In this paper, the process of steps used in the ethical decision making model. The basic principles of ethics, autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence and justice, constitute the pillar which sites the ethics of social care. The paper defines the ethical dilemma, by the application of the ethical decision making model and with the importance of ethical decision making in social care.

Discussion

Highlights of the decision-making in social care procedures include the following: factors that refer to strictly medical parameters, factors that relate to patient participation in decision-making, such as informed consent, benefit-risk assessment, interaction, care team, patient and family and refusal of treatment. Regarding emergency situations, where there is no possibility of an adequate reflection and contrast with the patient, the decision preceded by the following factors: time, inability to assess the situation, unconsciousness, absence of family engagement vital possibility of death, possible transplant (Ham 2004, pp. 10-47).

The moral development rested in a rights model that sought universal solutions to ethical dilemmas. In such a model, these dilemmas would be resolved through recourse to a set of rules or practices that could be logically deduced. The ideal goal is to meet obligations and responsibilities to others without sacrificing our own needs. We can define ethics of care as a focus on values such as “attentiveness to the need for care, willingness to accept responsibility for others as well as for the results of actions, and responsiveness”.

Importance of Ethical Decision Making

Ethical decision making in social care is noteworthy because it applies principles of critical thinking to ethical dilemmas. The ethical decision model forces to consider and thoroughly investigate the application of ethical principles, guidelines, and standards to any ethical dilemma. This process also helps to realize the legal and ethical ramifications of their decisions. Protestant tradition, and especially with the philosophy behind the neoliberal economic model, suggest that the hierarchy of topics to consider in the analysis of the case report will primacy to "patient preferences" because, in that society, they say "freedom is a value of high rank." All these characters involved in the health-disease (patients, families, health professionals, health institutions, society) have their own values, which include both the ethical and moral in particular. So when making an ethical decision, in the area of the clinic, it is better recognizing the values that accepted as universal. It is necessary to take into account both the values of the society, in which we live, and the scientific community to which they belong, as well as personal values of those involved in the process (Reamer 1983, pp.31-35).

Decision making model

Ethical actions can be understood in two ways: when someone takes out life pursuing goals that are inspiring the study of ethics. The other aspect is the actions that have to do ...