Ethics of Medic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics of Medic - Essay Example This is termed as the principle of beneficence. They have to take actions that supply the welfare of patients. In this case, the nurse had the obligation of ensuring that the chemotherapy was stopped since the boy saw no chances of surviving. However, in this case, there seems to be a conflict between beneficence and autonomy principles of ethics. Ashcroft et al (2007) acknowledge that the principle of autonomy realizes the rights of people to self-determination, and is based on the society’s respect for people’s aptitude to make knowledgeable decisions about personal issues. In this case, the patient’s personal decision conflicted with his personal welfare. The nurse has a responsibility of ensuring the patient’s welfare and carrying out the new, aggressive course of chemotherapy. In many situations, nurses have administered medication to patients without informing them of the benefits or consequences of such a medication. According to Ashcroft et al (2007), a patient should be fully aware of the implications of any medication administered to him or her. An uninformed person or patient is at the danger of making choices and decisions that are not as per his or her wishes or will. Medical practitioners can only make decisions on a patient on medication only if the individual is incapacitated. The nurse’s action to follow the physician’s instructions to administer the antidepressant medication to all patients was unethical. The nurse should have informed the physician that it was unethical and that the patients needed to be aware of the medication they receive in the hospital. Medical health practitioners have long avowed that they are obligated to avoid doing harm to their patients. In this case, the physician and the nurse are against the ethical maxim of non-malfeasance.