6
TONYA CASE STUDY
Jamie Wood
Capella University
8/12/2021
Introduction
While most expect to recover from illnesses that affect us, there are some illnesses and conditions that may be terminal. In such cases, the medical priorities and decisions tend to be different as they focus more on how to best handle the end-of-life care for the patient. This assignment is informed by a case study involving Tonya, whereby doctors have already ascertained to having permanent damage in her brain. In its progression, this paper expounds on various elements of healthcare practice, such as the code of ethics and the role of medical evidence in making decisions.
Relevant end-of-life issues in health care ethics
The lack of or compromise in patient’s autonomy: It is only right that a patient makes their own decision, hence the autonomy they enjoy. In end-of-life care, the patient may not be able to make objective decisions about their lives, and because of the same, they may not be independent thinkers. This is exactly what is happening to Tonya, as she lies in bed, unable to contribute to the decisions at hand. Without her autonomy or rather free will, Tonya cannot make decisions for herself, which attracts the dilemma between the medical personnel and her family members.
Shared decision making: In most end of care treatment scenarios, the decision does not just rest with one party (Brooks, 2017). In this case, there is the doctor’s side and then the family’s side of the decision-making process. With two opposing sides trying to arrive at a decision, then the whole process becomes even more complex. This is consequently an end-of-life issue that ought to be highlighted in this particular discussion.
Broken communication between doctors and family members: This is another issue in end-of-life care that is born out of the lack of patient autonomy. Without a proper communication model between the family and the medical experts, it becomes difficult to arrive at a consensus that suits all the parties. While Tonya’s brain damage is extensive as per the doctor’s statement, the family believes otherwise, and this is what compromises communication between the two main parties (Yadav 2017). In light of the explanations given above, it is justified to say that the presence of a broken communication system is another issue in end-of-life care that is often experienced.
There are indeed many issues faced by both doctors and family members in most end-of-life care scenarios. To contextualize everything Tonya’s case has been used to shed light on many of the said issues.
The hospital’s recommended course of action
The hospital should try and give the family time to come to the reality of things, where they get to accept that while Tonya’s heart may be pumping, or her body may be warm, she is not there as the Tonya they used to know. They must also take into consideration any end of life wishes Tonya may have had. One final consideration should be to the health of her organs and what damage keeping her on life support may have on them should they wish to allow donation. To be precise, they should give the family at least a week before removing Tonya from life support. By doing so, they will be maximizing “happiness” to all the parties involved, and this is exactly what utilitarianism is all about (Duignan, 2017). This decision is also backed up by natural-law ethics theory, in the sense that it is human nature to be allowed to adjust to new realities (Reason & Meaning, 2017).
The Kantian theory of ethics narrows down on the intentions behind every action. The doctor’s decision to give some time to the family to come to terms with the new reality before removing Tonya’s on life support, is a perfect example of the use of Kantian ethics (Anscombe). The justification of this is the fact that the intention to prolong a “dead” person on life support is done with good intentions, so that it helps the family adjust gradually into the reality of things. Another moral theory that helps justify the decision taken herein is the W. D. Ross’s Moral Theory, which states that actions and their morality are determined by the pursuit of intrinsic values. One way or another, the family in this Tonya case is going to feel sad because while they may not accept it, Tonya is dead. It therefore befalls the doctors and nurses to ensure that the family handles the said death with a little bit more comfort and stability, and this is what W. D. Ross’s Moral Theory advocates for (Chan et al. 2020). These moral theories help in justifying the vitality of giving the family some time before removing Tonya from life support (Reason and Meaning, 2017).
Relevant Principle of Care Ethics, Code of ethics and Moral Theory
The principle of justice and the moral theory of utilitarianism would form the philosophical foundation of my view. This is because through the principle of justice, I will have made a decision that is fair and just to all parties involved. On the other hand, the moral theory of utilitarianism will help informing the fact that I will be making sure that there is maximum satisfaction among the parties involved. I must also underline that my view is supported by my professional code of ethics which states that “every action must be just to the parties involved, especially the patient (Wallace, 2017).”
Mission Statement and Values of the Chosen Hospital
The chosen Hospital in this case is UCLA whose mission statement is as follows; “To deliver leading-edge patient care, research and education.” The view of this paper centers around providing a decision that would suit the patient, the family and also remain relevant on a medical perspective. It is clear that this view, is consistent with the hospital’s mission statement. Would an accredited body like the Joint Commission, support my view? Yes, it would. The justification for this is the fact that my view is aimed at providing justice to both the family, and the patient, while also following the medical expert’s recommendations.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, this paper has narrowed down on Tonya’s case, which then helped in understanding various end-of-life issues faced by medical professionals, and families to patients. In the same regard, this coverage has also highlighted how various moral ethics would help a person make decisions that are similar to that one in Tonya’s case. While paying attention to the case study and medical ethics, this paper has managed to cover the issue at hand.
References
Anscombe, E. (n.d.) Kantian ethics. Retrieved from http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gaskilld/ethics/kantianethics.htm
Chan, H. Y., Lee, D. T., & Woo, J. (2020). Diagnosing gaps in the development of palliative and end-of-life care: A qualitative exploratory study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(1), 151.
Duignan, B., & West, H. R. (2017). Encyclopedia Britannica: Utilitarianism. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/utilitarianism-philosophy
Reason and Meaning. (2017). Summary of natural law ethics. Retrieved from https://reasonandmeaning.com/2017/11/13/summary-of-natural-law- ethics/
Wallace, C. L., Thielman, K. J., Cimino, A. N., & Rueda, H. L. A. (2017). Ethics at the end of life: A teaching tool. Journal of Social Work Education, 53(2), 327-338.
Yadav, K. N., Gabler, N. B., Cooney, E., Kent, S., Kim, J., Herbst, N., … & Courtright, K. R. (2017). Approximately one in three US adults completes any type of advance directive for end-of-life care. Health Affairs, 36(7), 1244-1251.
Brooks, L. A., Manias, E., & Nicholson, P. (2017). Communication and decision-making about end-of-life care in the intensive care unit. American Journal of critical care, 26(4), 336-341.
The post 6 TONYA CASE STUDY Jamie Wood Capella University 8/12/2021 Introduction While most appeared first on PapersSpot.
