Apply the Bioethical Decision Making Model to the specific clinical ethical situation that you choose. Address each section of the model in your paper.
Utilizing the bioethical decision-making model, the first step is defining the dilemma (Forte et al., 2018). In the case study where a diabetes patient does not receive instructions related to their self-care activities, the ethical dilemma will be related to the principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence. By deciding not to provide a diabetes patient with clear self-care instructions, a physician can therefore be placing the health of a patient at significant risk or even place the patient at risk of not fully managing their diabetes condition. By not providing clear self-care instructions, a physician can be directly acting against the interest of the patient, which is against the principle of beneficence. By not providing clear self-care instructions, a physician can also be said not to be following the ethical principle of nonmaleficence which calls on all healthcare practitioners to be actively involved in preventing direct harm to their patients (Forte et al., 2018).
The medical facts that are relevant to an ethical dilemma in which a physician does not provide clear self-care instructions to a diabetes patient include the patient struggling to have proper glycemic control as a result of poor diet and lack of physical activity and even being obese in many instances. As a result of high blood sugar, which is one of the major symptoms of diabetes, it is therefore vital for patients to control their blood sugar through a combination of a healthy diet including fruits and vegetables, physical activity, and insulin therapy. By not providing self-care instructions such as regular physical activity and a healthy diet made up of fruits and vegetables, a physician will therefore be creating ethical issues related to the principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence.
The non-medical facts related to a patient with diabetes who does not receive adequate self-care instructions relate to their culture, religion, social and economic status. For a diabetes patient who comes from a culture that values foods that may contribute to a rise in blood sugar, such as high sugar and oil diet, the lack of self-care instructions can contribute to the worsening of their condition. Diabetes patients from low socioeconomic classes and statuses can also struggle to take the right diet to maintain their blood sugar.
The situation in which a physician does not provide adequate health care instructions to a diabetes patient relates to the second provision of the nurses’ code of ethics, which highlights the primacy of patient interests and also states that the primary commitment of nurses should be to the patient whether they are groups, families, individuals, populations, or communities (Porter, 2013). In a case scenario in which a physician does not provide adequate self-care instructions to a diabetes patient, it is the duty of the registered nurse to be committed to the patient and to ensure the patient receives adequate health care.
Considering the ethical dilemma in which a physician does not provide sufficient health care instructions for diabetes patients, the facts of the case include that definition does not follow the ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. Self-care instructions, which include requesting a diabetes patient to be involved in physical activities such as walking and taking a healthy diet made up of vegetables and fruits, are also central to the recovery of a patient.
In the ethical dilemma in which a physician does not provide sufficient self-care instructions to a diabetes patient, the items that need clarification to include that the diabetes patient requires to be involved in self-care activities such as taking a healthy diet and physical activities in combination with insulin therapy in order to effectively control their blood sugar.
The decision-makers in the ethical dilemma include the patient who is 65 years old and who is competent in making their own choices. For adult patients who are of the right frame of mind to make their own decisions, healthcare practitioners, including physicians and registered nurses, need to provide adequate advice related to self-care instructions and then allow such patients to make a decision on whether to follow the instructions or not.
In the case study where a diabetes patient does not receive instructions related to their self-care activities, the ethical dilemma will be related to the principle of beneficence and nonmaleficence. By deciding not to provide a diabetes patient with clear self-care instructions, a physician can therefore be placing the health of a patient at significant risk or even place the patient at risk of not fully managing their diabetes
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