Ethical Dilemma
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Ethical Dilemma
Ethical dilemmas exist in the world, and Mrs. Smith is not an exception. Her life is based on an ethical dilemma that both the doctors and relatives must consider. The decision to be made here relies on the doctor and the relatives available since Mrs. Smith can’t communicate. She needs to eat and live for the next day, but unfortunately, she pulls out the nasogastric tube inserted to enable her feed with its help. She resists any attempts by the doctor to put the tube back because it is uncomfortable. The dilemma here is to let her experience early death since she can’t eat normally or subject her to a surgically inserted nasogastric tube, which requires consent.
The testimony of the family is very critical in this situation because she doesn’t speak. They are aware that even if she could speak, she could not accept to be surgically inserted with a nasogastric tube.
To make any decision here, a series of steps must be considered, including moral sensitivity, moral judgment, and moral character. How sensitive is Mrs. Smith’s situation? Does she deserve early death? The answers belong to the people assessing her situation because she ought to live and enjoy the right to life.
The physician’s moral judgment needs to be assessed since he/she is aware of the situation at hand. If she can live for more days without the struggle she is going through, she ought to be put through the nasogastric tube. Subjecting her to early death is also an option because she is not in a position to give consent.
The last ethical decision to make is based on the motivation of both the physician and relatives. If she is going through pain, they should let her rest since the intended consent will not reach.
References
Arras, J. D. (1988). The Severely Demented, Minimally Functional Patient: An Ethical Analysis. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 36(10), 938–944. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1988.tb05788.x
Lincoln, S. H., & Holmes, E. K. (2010). The psychology of making ethical decisions: What affects the decision? Psychological Services, 7(2), 57–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018710