The Ethical Dilemma



The Ethical Dilemma

Introduction

Generally speaking, there are two major approaches that philosophers use in handling ethical dilemmas. One approach focuses on the practical consequences of what we do; the other concentrates on the actions themselves. The first school of thought basically argues "no harm, no foul"; the second claims that some actions are simply wrong. Thinkers have debated the relative merits of these approaches for centuries, but for the purpose of getting help with handling ethical dilemmas, think of them as complementary strategies for analyzing and resolving problems. Ethical dilemmas, also known as a moral dilemmas, are situations in which there are two choices to be made, neither of which resolves the situation in an ethically acceptable fashion. In such cases, societal and personal ethical guidelines can provide no satisfactory outcome for the chooser. Ethical dilemmas assume that the chooser will abide by societal norms, such as codes of law or religious teachings, in order to make the choice ethically impossible.

Discussion

Children throughout the United States are diagnosed with terminal diseases daily. Once medical treatments begin to not further the quality of life of the child, discussions will begin with the family to consider a do not resuscitate order. A do not resuscitate order is intended to protect the patient from resuscitative efforts that are not wanted by the patient and family (Baker et al., 2010). As a charge nurse at a pediatric ventilator unit, do not resuscitate status comes into discussion frequently, and it is an uncomfortable topic for some. A do not resuscitate order on a child can cause an internal ethical dilemma for nurses. Children are seen as lively beings, and are supposed to outlive their elders. Also there are many myths surrounding do not resuscitate orders with both family members and members of the healthcare team. Some people believe that do not resuscitate orders mean do not treat, when in actuality do not resuscitate orders only describe resuscitation wishes. Do not resuscitate orders can in fact comply with all seven nursing ethical principles. Ethical theory can be applied to a do not resuscitate order, and the ethical dilemma of dealing with a child with a do not resuscitate order is discussed and how to resolve it.

Beneficence and Nonmaleficence

One of the main nursing ethical principles is beneficence. Beneficence means to act in the best interest of the patient (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2002). With a do not resuscitate order, it is a common misperception that care is withheld from the patient. In actuality, the patient still receives appropriate medical and nursing interventions. While the goals for the patient may change after a do not resuscitate order initiation, life-prolonging measures still can be utilized (Baker et al., 2010). If the patient is at the end stage of life, the care goals for the child have shifted towards an aim for a better quality versus quantity of life. This entails making the patient comfortable and happy, versus subjecting them to more procedures that will not prolong their ...