Dublin City University
One of Donal's friends, John, was nice enough to let me sit in on his class. Donal is John's boss but it is still nice of him. The presentations titles that the students presented on were The Ethical Issues Surrounding Sexuality and Individuals with Intellectual Disability, A Patients Right to Autonomy Opposed to a Families Wishes and Organ Donation. Gift of Life or Sacrifice?
The two ethical concepts this nursing class was based on is deontology (Greek for "Obligation") and utilitarianism. Deontology focuses on the actions that create the outcome. Nurses who believe in deontology respect the patients autonomy. Utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences or outcome of an act rather then the act itself. Nurses who believe in utilitarianism want to maximize happiness no matter the journey. The students had to apply these to ethics to a nursing case. To explain the two ethics I am going to put together my own case.
Amena Kanton is a 26 years old and live in Portland, Oregon. When she was 21 she contracted AIDS. Amena is being treated but her AIDS has progressed to stage four. She has developed Kaposi's Sarcoma and it has spread over her face, legs and mouth. Treatments are painful and even with them she is in pain. Amena has been in pain for a while and is depressed and afraid to show her face, even to her own mother. The doctor has said that she will have 2 months to live. Her health is quickly deteriorating. Amena has been strong but now wishes to end the pain and asks for an physician (commonly doctor) assisted suicide. That means she will be given the means to pass away. Now it is the nurses decision to decide.
Deontology Way: Respecting Amena's wishes the doctor gives her excessive amounts of morphine.
Utilitarianism Way: The nurse believes that Amena could live for years to come and refuses her request. Amena continues to take the treatments and is still in the same mental and physical state. The nurse believes she is doing her duty.
NOTE: I am by no way a professional nurse and this is not the BEST example. Please excuse any errors or unexpected falsehoods.
Where the end justifies the means.
Where the means justifies the end.
Which one matches which ethic?
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2 comments:
What do you think about this Laine? Does this connect to the stem cell lecture for you? You are sitting in on some heavy stuff. Very cool.
wow...heavy is one way to identify this. these are some challenging and stretching classes you are getting to sit through. are you able to interact in class or are you supposed to just be an observer?
rock on!
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