Analyzing an Ethical Decision and Addressing an Ethical Dilemma

Analyzing an Ethical Decision
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Analyzing an Ethical Decision
Suicidal individuals who have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order present an ethical dilemma to the practice nurses and physicians. In the case presented, an elderly woman has been presented to the emergency department after she was suspected of trying to commit suicide (Henman, 2017). The patient had been previously admitted to the hospital because of her condition, and it was during her hospitalization that she applied for a DNR order. Despite the patient’s terminal illness, the physician felt the need to intubate the patient (Henman, 2017).
The decision of whether to respect the order or treat the patient in the case of a suicide attempt proves challenging for the practitioner. Patients who apply for a do-not-resuscitate order require medical practitioners to honor their decisions no matter the circumstance. Furthermore, any adult of sound mind has the right to dictate what should be done to their own body and that any attempt by a medical practitioner to operate on the individual without their consent will have committed assault (Bolsin & Saunders, 2012). However, some patients might refuse treatment as part of a suicide attempt while others might refuse treatment because it is futile. Suicide is considered a danger to oneself, and in such cases, the individuals are required to receive involuntary treatment (Johnson & Stern, 2014). Suicidal patients can, therefore, receive involuntary treatment if they are assumed to be depressed, their attempt is impulsive, they need help, or they require a second chance which would be impossible once they die (Johnson & Stern, 2014). In the case of the elderly woman, her attempt to kill herself can render her incompetent, and therefore, the practitioner can administer treatment to her despite the DNR. However, not all patients who attempt to commit suicide are incompetent since not all of them suffer from depression. Some patients who commit suicide have a high level of competency and do so because of reasons best known to themselves. Since the patient’s competency cannot be proven, the case of treating the suicidal elderly wo...