Ethical Dilemma Analysis: Allocation of Scarce Critical Care
Resources
Assignment Instructions:
Identify a complex healthcare ethical dilemma facing the professional nurse in a multi-
dimensional healthcare environment. Conduct an in-depth exploration of the literature
about the selected dilemma and identify relevant stakeholders to explore their
perspectives.
This report addresses the allocation of scarce critical care resources (e.g., ICU beds and
ventilators) during a public health emergency. The document includes a literature-
informed analysis, identification of stakeholders, stakeholder perspectives, ethical
frameworks, and recommendations for nursing practice.
, Introduction
The allocation of scarce critical care resources—such as ICU beds and mechanical
ventilators—during a public health emergency poses a complex ethical dilemma for
professional nurses. Nurses are at the bedside, advocating for individual patients while
also participating in system-level triage processes that aim to maximize benefit across
populations. This paper examines the ethical, clinical, legal, and organizational
dimensions of resource allocation, reviews key literature and guidelines, identifies
stakeholders, and explores stakeholder perspectives to inform nursing practice.
Problem Description and Context
During surges in demand—such as the COVID-19 pandemic—healthcare systems may
face shortages of ICU beds, ventilators, and trained staff. Triage decisions determine
which patients receive life-sustaining treatments and which do not. These decisions raise
difficult questions about how to balance competing ethical principles, including
beneficence (doing good), nonmaleficence (avoiding harm), justice (fair distribution), and
respect for autonomy. Professional nurses often experience moral distress when asked to
implement triage protocols that deny or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from patients
who would otherwise receive it.
Literature Review
A growing body of literature addresses ethical allocation during crises. Emanuel et al.
(2020) proposed ethical principles for allocating scarce medical resources during
COVID-19, emphasizing maximizing benefits (saving the most lives and life-years),
treating people equally, promoting and rewarding instrumental value, and giving priority
to the worst off when appropriate. The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and
other professional societies published triage frameworks emphasizing objective clinical
criteria, transparency, and procedural fairness (SCCM, 2020).
Resources
Assignment Instructions:
Identify a complex healthcare ethical dilemma facing the professional nurse in a multi-
dimensional healthcare environment. Conduct an in-depth exploration of the literature
about the selected dilemma and identify relevant stakeholders to explore their
perspectives.
This report addresses the allocation of scarce critical care resources (e.g., ICU beds and
ventilators) during a public health emergency. The document includes a literature-
informed analysis, identification of stakeholders, stakeholder perspectives, ethical
frameworks, and recommendations for nursing practice.
, Introduction
The allocation of scarce critical care resources—such as ICU beds and mechanical
ventilators—during a public health emergency poses a complex ethical dilemma for
professional nurses. Nurses are at the bedside, advocating for individual patients while
also participating in system-level triage processes that aim to maximize benefit across
populations. This paper examines the ethical, clinical, legal, and organizational
dimensions of resource allocation, reviews key literature and guidelines, identifies
stakeholders, and explores stakeholder perspectives to inform nursing practice.
Problem Description and Context
During surges in demand—such as the COVID-19 pandemic—healthcare systems may
face shortages of ICU beds, ventilators, and trained staff. Triage decisions determine
which patients receive life-sustaining treatments and which do not. These decisions raise
difficult questions about how to balance competing ethical principles, including
beneficence (doing good), nonmaleficence (avoiding harm), justice (fair distribution), and
respect for autonomy. Professional nurses often experience moral distress when asked to
implement triage protocols that deny or withdraw life-sustaining treatment from patients
who would otherwise receive it.
Literature Review
A growing body of literature addresses ethical allocation during crises. Emanuel et al.
(2020) proposed ethical principles for allocating scarce medical resources during
COVID-19, emphasizing maximizing benefits (saving the most lives and life-years),
treating people equally, promoting and rewarding instrumental value, and giving priority
to the worst off when appropriate. The Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and
other professional societies published triage frameworks emphasizing objective clinical
criteria, transparency, and procedural fairness (SCCM, 2020).
