Primary Ethical Issues and Ethical Principles

Case Study
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Case Study
Question 1
The primary ethical issues to consider in this case are (1) the decision to withdraw the patient from life support without her consent and, (2) the question of whether it was right to keep the patient suffering when there was no reasonable chance of recovery. It was a question of whether or not to keep the patient alive in the condition.
Question2
The ethical principles that have more relevance in the story are the principles of beneficence and autonomy. The principle of beneficence was honored in the case by the patient’s primary physician choosing to withdraw life support from the patient to relieve her of the pain and suffering she was going through. However, autonomy was dishonored because the patient’s physician and friends did not get consent from the patient to have her life support withdrawn. They relied on her will that had been written earlier, but that could have changed without their knowledge.
Question 3
The nurses’ duty to this patient is to take extreme care on her in the midst of the health problems she was facing. It is their duty to provide quality care in the process of recovery. From a Deontological perspective, the patient is supposed to be protected against anything that jeopardizes her life.
Question 4
A critical analysis of this case shows that the best outcome for this patient is to relieve her of as much pain as possible. From a teleological perspective, relieving her of that pain is justifiable since it will help her to avoid the suffering she is facing. Since she is very old, and there is no reasonable chance of recovery, it is best if she is allowed to be withdrawn from...