Applying Ethical Principles.edited.docx - 1 Applying...

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Applying Ethical Principles
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APPLYING ETHICAL PRINCIPLES 2
Applying Ethical Principles
Health care professionals often face ethical problems during their practice that require
them to use their moral values and principles when making decisions. The four fundamental
principles of health care ethics—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice—act as
yardsticks for fair and ethical decision-making. These ethical principles are widely accepted in
the field of health care. Medical practitioners and health care administrators often use these
principles to make decisions when faced with complex situations involving patients.
Overview of the Case Study
Betsy is a dedicated pediatric nurse known for the care and concern she has towards her
patients. Her neighbor and friend, Alice, lives with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, Shirley.
Alice and her husband are followers of Christian Science, a belief that advocates spiritual healing
and discourages most medical intervention types. When visiting Alice and Shirley, Betsy sees
Shirley experience what seems like a seizure ( Ntantana et al., 2017) . The child suddenly becomes
unresponsive and has a brief staring spell, with her eyes rolling upward. The episode lasts for 20
seconds, during which she seems utterly unaware of her surroundings. While Shirley is having
the seizure, Alice sits by her side and prays but takes no other action.
Betsy is concerned about the little girl's condition and probes her friend for details. Alice
tells Betsy that Shirley used to have around 15–20 such episodes a day until a few months ago;
this has now reduced to about 12. Alice attributes the improvement in Shirley's health to her
prayers and faith. However, this does not help Betsy feel comfortable about Shirley's condition.
She is almost sure that Shirley has epilepsy, which could have profound health implications if not

APPLYING ETHICAL PRINCIPLES 3
treated on time ( Ntantana et al., 2017) . At the very least, she thinks Alice should have Shirley's
symptoms accurately diagnosed. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Betsy sets up a
meeting with Shirley's parents and Dr. Campbell, director of the hospital's neurology department.
She treats this meeting as an intervention, and both she and Dr. Campbell express their concern
for Shirley's health. They stress that the improvement in Shirley's symptoms does not necessarily
mean she will be cured. They empathize with Alice and her husband's reluctance on account of
their religious belief but reiterate the importance of getting Shirley's symptoms diagnosed. To
prove their point, they present studies that describe how seizures can indicate illnesses such as
epilepsy, which could negatively affect her cognition and behavior. Shirley’s parents are grateful