Argumentative Paper: Mr. Gentle

Argumentative Paper
Student's Name
University
Argumentative Paper
Case 1: Mr. Gentle
Ethical issues often arise in healthcare when decisions need to be made. Sometimes the options are not ideal, which often results in low quality of patient care. Estranged clinical relationships and moral stress also arise, which involves knowing the right thing to do and yet not doing it. Medical practitioners, in specific, are subjected to ethical issues and moral distress due to their leadership and mentoring roles ("Ethical issues in nursing: Explanations & solutions," 2020). Doctors can look up to other medical practitioners like nurses or nurse managers for making ethical decisions in matters regarding their patients. In the case of Mr. Gentle, ethical questions to be considered include; honesty or withholding information? Science or cultural values? What to do when you witness a lack of integrity as a healthcare practitioner? And the principle of informed consent is also to be considered.
Dr. True is faced with an ethical dilemma on what is the right thing to do concerning his patient's case. The dilemma of practicing honesty or withholding information is what the Dr. experienced. Sometimes family members may require Doctors to hold the information, especially if they believe it might hurt their sick member. However, medical practitioners should at all times tell the truth no matter how hurtful it can be. The Americans Nurses Association, ANA, advocates for honesty when practitioners are faced with such a dilemma. When Dr. True lied to the patient that there is a cure for his condition, he violated the honesty code of conduct for medical practitioners. With his severe condition, Mr. Gentle deserves the truth; he deserves to know his medical condition. The fact that he is only left with a few months to live is a piece of important information that was not to be withheld whatsoever.
Healthcare is based and driven by science. Sometimes, results-driven by science can greatly impede personal and cultural beliefs. Patients and families who hold strict traditional beliefs concentrate on adhering to their traditional beliefs more than medical results or even treatment. The code of conduct for medical practitioners regarding cultural belief states that doctors and nurses should respect the cultural differences between them and the patients, such as lifestyles, values, and even religious belief ("Ethical issues in nursing: Explanations & solutions," 2020).
The medical practitioners should not ever treat the practices and beliefs as acceptable, not even on an individual level. Dr. True has lived in the society for 15 years and seems to be immersed in the cultural ways of the society he serves. By deciding not to mention death, as most people believe that a Doctor should not mention death to a patient, he conflicted with the principle of cultural beliefs regarding healthcare. Dr. True treats the cultural perspective of the society as acceptable and goes against the code of ethics. This is not acceptable even if he has insight into society's values and medical needs. Practicing by the code of conduct is something that should not be compromised by caregivers regardless of the situation.
On the other hand, the patient did not ...