The goal of this assessment is to recognise and become attuned to the legal requirements and moral/ethical aspects of everyday care and to consider your role as a healthcare student and future health care professional. The focus is on the application of legal principles moral/ethical theory and ethical healthcare practice. Moral justification is important in moral decision making. Apply legal principles ethical principles moral theory, virtue ethics, and an ethic of care to frame your answers.
Application of Ethical And Legal Principles To Case Scenarios Assessment – Australia
Choose three (3) of the case narratives from the five (5) below and answer the corresponding questions for the narratives you have chosen. Your task is to care fully consider the narrative from multiple perspectives and answer the question in relation to the specifics within the narrative and the relevant legal and ethical concepts using a reasoned approach. Each answer should be 500-700 words includes intext references in length and the usual guidelines for academic writing and referencing apply see Canvas for links to Referencing guide.
The choice of which three (3) narratives to answer is up to you. These narratives may apply to a multitude of professional health disciplines including physio therapy nursing medicine pharmacy psychology and counselling to accommodate your ability to consider the legal and ethical principles related to your own discipline. Ensure that you have reviewed the marking rubric and have met the requirements of the assessment.
You are required to submit this assessment via the assignment box on this units Canvas page. It is encouraged that you submit to the draft submission section first to receive a URKUND report for text matching. This may take 24-48 hours for a report, so it is best to be submitted in advance of the due date to enable review and refinement as needed. In your submission please do not include the case narrative rather just include the case narrative number as a heading to indicate which narratives will be addressed.
NARRATIVE ONE
You are at work in an ACT public hospital when a colleague joins you for lunch and takes a bottle of antibiotic eye drops out of his pocket and begins to ad minister the drops into his (L) eye which is appears red and puffy causing him to squint. Your colleague explains that his eye has been getting worse over the shift,
his vision is affected and that he knows it is just conjunctivitis, but he has not got time to go to the doctors.
Your colleague states to you I have had this problem before, there are plenty of these antibiotic eye drops on the shelf in the medication room, no one will miss it and if I start it now, I will be OK for tomorrow and will not have to call in sick!”
NARRATIVE ONE (1) QUESTION: From the perspective of your discipline, consider the actions of your colleague in the above case scenario and identify the areas of concern. Link the areas of identified concern to the actions you could or should take supported by relevant regulatory or legislative frameworks.
Application of Ethical And Legal Principles To Case Scenarios Assessment – Australia
NARRATIVE TWO
Your manager calls for an urgent staff meeting and reports that a complaint has been made by the family of an organ donor patient. The donor family had requested not to be identified, but at the funeral of the donor, the family of the organ receiver approached them and wanted to thank them in person for their
lifesaving decision. The donor’s family are threatening civil action against the health service for the emotional distress this has caused them.
Further investigation has determined that a family member of the organ receiver entered a lift where they overheard a group of health professionals discussing the sad case of the 16 year old girl who had died as a result of an accident on North bourne Avenue close to Civic. The health professionals gathered in the lift shared identifying details about the case including that the deceased teenager was an organ donor and that thankfully the family had honored her wishes.
The family of the organ receiver searched the internet and found the media report which gave the names of the people involved, where they lived and the details of the funeral.
NARRATIVE TWO (2) QUESTION: Reflect upon the case study above and apply a reasoned approach in your response to the scenario highlighting the most relevant legal frameworks and ethical concerns.
NARRATIVE THREE
Wendy an 86 year old woman has recently returned from hospital following a fall in her shower at the residential care facility in Weston Creek where she has lived since the death of her husband 12 months ago. Wendy is independent with all activities of living and only requires a cane for support when ambulating.Staff have noticed that over the last three months Wendy has become increasingly withdrawn her appetite has decreased, she is spending more time alone in her room, refusing to have regular showers and delaying or at times refusing to take her medications. Four days ago, Wendy advised staff that she no longer wants to live and has refused all food and fluids.
Wendy has lost a considerable amount of weight and appears quite malnourished. Staff and residents have commented on her odor and appearance.
Wendy’s family have demanded that the residential care facility take action and use coercion or force if necessary to ensure that Wendy has her basic care requirements met including ensuring adequate diet hydration and personal care including bathing or they will be liable for neglect and causing Wendy’s death.
NARRATIVE THREE (3) QUESTION: From the perspective of your discipline, identify how you would advocate for Wendy in the team meeting. Use the biomedical ethical principles beneficence non-maleficence justice and autonomy and relevant legal frameworks to justify your position.
NARRATIVE FOUR
You have noticed that your colleague Cai, who is usually eager, engaged and full of energy, is looking withdrawn is quiet and shut down. She has called in sick for several shifts which is out of character for her.
Cai is a new graduate who left China four years ago and chose to stay in Canberra after completing her training during this time Cai has also completed her gender transition and is now legally female. Cai loves living here but misses her family who still live overseas. Cai has been working on this ward for the last 4 months.
You ask Cai if she is OK and she bursts into tears. She states that her colleagues do not include her in conversations turn and walk away when she approaches and never ask her to join them for morning tea or to get coffee. Cai claims that her colleagues cannot even pronounce her name and call her nurse or the New Grad” and use the incorrect pronoun. Cai reports that nursing colleagues have also started to question her clinical practice in front of peers, patients and relatives.
Cai reports to you that she is starting to dread coming to work and it makes her feel anxious. She does not think there is anything she can do to improve her situation and that management would think she is over-reacting to the workplace culture. Cai is afraid that she will not get a good reference and it could affect her chances of securing a permanent contract after her new graduate year.
NARRATIVE FOUR (4) QUESTION: Reflect upon the case study above and discuss the legal and ethical obligations from multiple perspectives.
NARRATIVE FIVE
Tillie is a 15 year old young person, she is the eldest of 3 children, she lives with her parents enjoys school (year 9) for the most part and has a history of anxiety. The GP in a nearby medical centre in Belconnen is seeing Tillie as a new patient; she is reluctant to see her family GP due to concerns about confidentiality; she is worried that the family GP may disclose information about her appointments to her parents.
Application of Ethical And Legal Principles To Case Scenarios Assessment – Australia
Tillie is attending the new GP by herself and is requesting a prescription for the oral contraceptive pill. Tillie reports that her parents do not approve of her sexual relationship with her older boyfriend and would be horrified at the thought of her taking the oral contraceptive pill due to their strong religious beliefs. Tillie feels nervous about seeing the new GP about her reproductive health, but she has done her research on the oral contraceptive pill (such as risks and side effects), so that she is somewhat prepared for the consultation.
NARRATIVE FIVE (5) QUESTION: Consider this case and discuss the most relevant ethical and legal considerations from the perspectives of the characters in the scenario.