You are a nurse on a floor with only elderly patients-2
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Philosophy
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Dec 6, 2023
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Week 4 Discussion
You are a nurse on a floor with only elderly patients. Every day, each patient tells you
about how much pain they are in and asks you to help them. They want you to inject them
with something to end their lives. If the patients die, the beds on that floor would be freed
up for other patients. The hospital is at 100 percent capacity. There is no other hospital for
30 miles. Other patients may not be receiving care due to a lack of free beds. What is the
moral thing to do here? Why is that the moral thing to do? What would an utilitarian say is
the moral thing to do? Why would they say that? Compare and contrast the utilitarian
approach with that of an ethical egoist or social contact theorist.
The moral thing to do is subjective and depends on personal and professional values. Prioritizing
the well-being and care of elderly patients is essential, and euthanasia might not be an
appropriate solution to free up hospital beds. The moral thing to do here is to provide care and
comfort to the elderly patients, and to allow them to live out the remainder of their lives with
dignity and respect. As a nurse, it would be unethical and immoral to take away the patients' right
to life by assisting them in ending it. This would go against the ethical code of the profession and
violate the trust that the patients have put in the nurse. It is the nurse's responsibility to provide
care for the elderly and to ensure that their needs are met, not to take away their right to life.
From a utilitarian perspective, some might argue that euthanasia could be morally justified if it
leads to freeing up hospital beds and allowing other patients to receive care. However, potential
psychological and emotional impacts on healthcare staff and societal views on euthanasia need to
be considered.
A utilitarian would say that the moral thing to do is to allocate the available resources in the most
efficient way, so that the greatest number of people benefit. In this case, that means not taking
away the patients' right to life and instead continuing to provide care and comfort to the elderly
patients. This will free up beds for other patients and allow them to receive the care they need.
The utilitarian approach is focused on maximizing benefit for the greatest number of people,
while an ethical egoist or social contract theorist would focus on the individual's rights and
responsibilities. An ethical egoist might argue that it is each patient's individual right to choose
whether to end their own life, while a social contract theorist might argue that the nurse's
responsibility is to uphold the social contract of providing care for the elderly patients. Both
approaches would prioritize the individual's rights and responsibilities over the utilitarian
approach of maximizing benefit for the greatest number of people.
The main difference between the utilitarian approach and that of an ethical egoist or social
contact theorist is that the utilitarian approach is focused on maximizing benefit for the greatest
number of people, while the other two approaches prioritize the individual's rights and
responsibilities.
Ethical Egoist and Social Contract Theorist
Ethical egoists might prioritize their own well-being and may refuse to participate in euthanasia
due to potential psychological and emotional harm, regardless of benefits to others. An ethical
egoist would argue that it is each patient's individual right to choose whether to end their own
life, while a social contract theorist might argue that the nurse's responsibility is to uphold the
social contract of providing care for the elderly patients.
Social contract theorists may argue
against euthanasia, as it might be seen as violating the principles of protecting life and trust
between patients and healthcare professionals. Alternative solutions to address the hospital's
capacity issue might be favored.
Both approaches would prioritize the individual's rights and responsibilities over the utilitarian
approach of maximizing benefit for the greatest number of people.
Conclusion
There is no definitive "final answer" to this scenario, as the appropriate course of action depends
on specific values, beliefs, and laws governing the society in which it occurs.
Ethical dilemmas
often require open dialogue among various stakeholders, including healthcare professionals,
patients, families, policymakers, and ethicists.
In summary, this scenario highlights the
complexity of ethical dilemmas in healthcare and the need for thoughtful consideration and
ethical analysis to make informed decisions.
References
Arvan, M. (2020). Neurofunctional prudence and morality: A philosophical theory. Routledge.
Chappell, T. (2014). Ethics and experience: Life beyond moral theory. Routledge.
Faden, R., Bernstein, J., & Shebaya, S. (2010). Public health ethics.
Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill
Education.
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