A*1 3.4
Describe Ethical Dilemmas that may arise when balancing individual’s rights and duty
of care. A minimum of one (1) ethical dilemma that may arise when balancing
individual’s rights and duty of care must be described.
In the line of work that we are doing, Health and Social
Care workers are often faced with situations that challenge
our decision making. Challenged, in a way where the
service user’s individual rights and our duty of care
conflicts. Such situations are called Ethical Dilemmas.
Ethical dilemmas are situations where we may make a
decision with consequences that may benefit the client or
service user but is morally or ethically unacceptable or
decide to choose which option is greater for the patient
despite both of the choices being ethically or morally
important. It is also knowing the difference between the
right thing to do and wrong thing to do or what needs to be done or what doesn’t. But
sometimes, the choices we are faced with can both be wrong or both right.
Individual’s rights and Duty of Care are both important in health and social care. But, what
are the individual’s rights and our Duty of Care? Individual rights are being respected,
treated equally, being given privacy, protected from harm or danger, being able to make a
choice and many more while Duty of care is a legal obligation to exercise a reasonable
standard of care when doing anything that could harm others. As a health and social care
worker, it is our obligation to uphold these rights and duties but in the case of an Ethical
Dilemma, we need to give importance to both of these despite any difficulties. An example of
an Ethical Dilemma is the act of Euthanasia.
Euthanasia is defined by en.wikipedia.org as
“the practice of intentionally ending a life to
relieve pain and suffering.” It is also called
“Mercy Killing”. This commonly happens in
patients who have incurable diseases that are
suffering in excruciating pain or even those
who are in coma and their relatives or the
patient, themselves, wish to stop the pain by
ending their life without pain. It can be done
by either removing the machine or the
treatment that keeps the patient alive but
doesn’t cure them or by injecting substances
or drugs that will induce death painlessly. Though it is illegal here in the UK, there are some
countries that allow it. But, how does this become an Ethical Dilemma? Euthanasia is an
ethical dilemma because it confronts a decision where the patient or their relatives wish for
the patient to be mercily killed or remove his/her life support. While it is our duty to respect
and recognise the decision or choice of the relatives or patient (if they are able to decide for
themselves) it is also our duty to do no harm. This is autonomy and nonmaleficence.
Autonomy is the freedom of a patient or their relatives to make a choice and decision while
nonmaleficence means to do no harm which is also a summary of our duty of care. In this
case, both of these are in conflict to the patient’s interest and our duty of care.
Describe Ethical Dilemmas that may arise when balancing individual’s rights and duty
of care. A minimum of one (1) ethical dilemma that may arise when balancing
individual’s rights and duty of care must be described.
In the line of work that we are doing, Health and Social
Care workers are often faced with situations that challenge
our decision making. Challenged, in a way where the
service user’s individual rights and our duty of care
conflicts. Such situations are called Ethical Dilemmas.
Ethical dilemmas are situations where we may make a
decision with consequences that may benefit the client or
service user but is morally or ethically unacceptable or
decide to choose which option is greater for the patient
despite both of the choices being ethically or morally
important. It is also knowing the difference between the
right thing to do and wrong thing to do or what needs to be done or what doesn’t. But
sometimes, the choices we are faced with can both be wrong or both right.
Individual’s rights and Duty of Care are both important in health and social care. But, what
are the individual’s rights and our Duty of Care? Individual rights are being respected,
treated equally, being given privacy, protected from harm or danger, being able to make a
choice and many more while Duty of care is a legal obligation to exercise a reasonable
standard of care when doing anything that could harm others. As a health and social care
worker, it is our obligation to uphold these rights and duties but in the case of an Ethical
Dilemma, we need to give importance to both of these despite any difficulties. An example of
an Ethical Dilemma is the act of Euthanasia.
Euthanasia is defined by en.wikipedia.org as
“the practice of intentionally ending a life to
relieve pain and suffering.” It is also called
“Mercy Killing”. This commonly happens in
patients who have incurable diseases that are
suffering in excruciating pain or even those
who are in coma and their relatives or the
patient, themselves, wish to stop the pain by
ending their life without pain. It can be done
by either removing the machine or the
treatment that keeps the patient alive but
doesn’t cure them or by injecting substances
or drugs that will induce death painlessly. Though it is illegal here in the UK, there are some
countries that allow it. But, how does this become an Ethical Dilemma? Euthanasia is an
ethical dilemma because it confronts a decision where the patient or their relatives wish for
the patient to be mercily killed or remove his/her life support. While it is our duty to respect
and recognise the decision or choice of the relatives or patient (if they are able to decide for
themselves) it is also our duty to do no harm. This is autonomy and nonmaleficence.
Autonomy is the freedom of a patient or their relatives to make a choice and decision while
nonmaleficence means to do no harm which is also a summary of our duty of care. In this
case, both of these are in conflict to the patient’s interest and our duty of care.
