Ethical Health Care Issues Essay Example for Free

Ethical Health Care Issues Essay According to Women’s Health Resource (2011) â€Å"breast cancer is a serious issue that will affect almost every women worldwide, either directly as someone diagnosed with cancer, or indirectly through the illness of a loved one†( Home, para. 1). In the United States breast cancer is the found in women in their early twenties and thirties. These individuals are more prone to breast cancer because she has a family history of breast cancer. In 2006, approximately 212, 920 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in the United States (Women’s Health Resource, 2011). The case scenario below will discuss ethical and legal issues regarding a female patient with breast cancer, which refuses treatment for breast cancer. Additionally, the scenario will cover the following four ethical principles: respect for persons/autonomy, justice, beneficence, and non-maleficence that relates to the case scenario (Bishop, 2003). Case Scenario A 25-year-old female patient made an appointment with her primary care physician because she discovered a lump on her breast. She went to her appointment with her primary care physician the following day. The physician examined her breast and discovered a lump on her breast, so he made a referral for her to see an oncologist in which can diagnose her if she has breast cancer. An oncologist is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnoses and treatment cancer (The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation, 2009). The following are the three main types of oncologist: medical oncologist, radiation oncologist, and surgical oncologist, which can practice in hospitals and research centers. The female patient can make an appointment with the oncologist in which he will inform about her condition and different types of treatments available to her in which can reduce her chance of death as well conduct a biopsy. The biopsy will determine if she has breast cancer. The ethical issues are very clear, and they are respect for autonomy and beneficence. Additionally, the legal or ethical principles involved with breast cancer are no different from any other medical  treatment/intervention. Autonomy and Informed Consent As stated by Bishop (2003), â€Å"respect for persons/autonomy is that a physician acknowledges a person’s right to make choices, to hold views, and take actions based on personal values, and beliefs† (p. 7). In order for an adult to refuse treatment, he or she must be legally and mentally capable by meeting the following criteria: 18 years or older, understands the nature of the condition, and voluntary. Additionally, parents with children under the age of 18 have the right to consent to treatment as well refusing treatment for his or her child. As recognized by Miller et al. (2000), physicians have a moral and legal obligation to comply with a patient’s voluntary, informed refusal of life sustaining treatment, regardless of a physician judgment concerning the medical or moral appropriateness of this. In the case of the 25-year-old female patient with breast cancer she rejected medical treatment and was informed by the oncologist about the terminal illness. Death is seen as failure, rather than an important part of life (Smith, 2000). A conflict can arise with the patient because of the decision she made about not receiving care, which can likely end her life. The oncologist is obligated to inform or educate the patient about breast cancer, benefits of treatments, and risks involved with no treatment. The following are treatment options for cancer patients: lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical reconstruction (Women’s Health Resource, 2011). Although a physician can suggest benefits of any type of treatment the patient has the freedom to choose if he or she wants the treatment as well as ensuring the patient understand his or her own condition. When a patient refuses treatment for breast cancer or any medical condition, the issue of autonomy becomes difficult because of the serious health consequences. The health care professional will offer the patient different options for treatment when this occurs. As stated before the physician should consult with the patient about his or her decision because nurses have ethics and codes of conduct in which he or she must follow. Nurses must care for patients while taking care of him or her as  well as respecting and supporting the patient rights to decline treatment at anytime (Stringer, 2009). Medical professionals should respect the autonomy of patient decisions because it is a critical in the health care industry. Beneficence Rosenthal (2006), the principle of beneficence means that the health care provider must promote the well-being of patients and avoid harm them. Once a patient refuses treatment the health care professional must communicate the harm associated with no treatment for his or her condition. This can play a major role in how beneficence and maleficence is judged. When a patient has breast cancer and refuses treatment there is not another alternative option for the patient. During this principle the health care professional should ensure that he or she is maximizing possible benefits for the patients and minimizing harm when dealing with treatments. The health care professional can suggest certain treatments but the patient does not have to receive any care for his or her condition. When this occurs the physician will focus on different conflict resolutions for the care as well as services. A health care professional job is to offer quality of care to the patient in which he or she will ben efit from the medical treatment. During this principle, the health care professional will act with compassion when informing the patient about the potential benefits and risks for any medical condition. A patient is reliant upon the health care professional for someone who is caring and willing to share in the responsibility as well as treating him or her with dignity and respect. The 25-year-old female does not want treatment in which makes it hard for the oncologist to provide quality of care during the consultation and care. Non-maleficence Rosenthal (2006), during this principle, the health care provider ought to strive not to inflict harm to a patient, a requirement also seen as a duty not to refrain from aiding a patient. In addition, this principle will coincide with beneficence because it is reducing the harm to any patient  although a patient refuses care/treatment. The health care professional is obligated to help the patients to the best of his or her ability by providing benefits, protecting the patient’s interest, and promoting welfare. Additionally, how, and what the health care professional does for a patient should have greater chance of benefiting the patient than harming the patient. This is done by risk benefit analyses, where the health care professional can conduct research on the condition and different medications. The health care professional should explain any side effects for treatments as well as medications that the patient will become knowledgeable about options for his or her conditio n. Justice The principle of justice means to treat others equitably, distribute benefits/burdens fairly (Bishop, 2003). In addition, it is very important for the health care professional to keep a patient informed about treatments and he or she should not provide misinformation to the patient. A major issue with this principle is economic barriers can interfere with a patient when trying to receive treatment and medication. The health care organization is required to provide services/care to a patient regardless of health care coverage, especially the uninsured In addition, the department should that all patients are treated equally regardless of age, race, and ethnicity. Additionally, this principle will focus on justice, which will provide care/treatment regardless of the patient demographics or ethical issues he or she encounters with the health care professional. During this principle, the patient is treated with dignity and respect even though he or she refused care/treatment for any medic al condition. Conclusion Refusal of care is one of the most common ethical dilemmas in the health care industry, which is often difficult to resolve when his or her well-being is threaten. The health care professional must determine, which aspects of autonomy, beneficence, justice, and non-maleficence a patient want before providing care. Administrators within a medical facility must  examine the following underlying issues: competence of a patient, the distinction between apparent, and real refusal of care (Michels, 1981). A physician has the legal duty to provide and ensure the patient with sufficient information about treatment and care when he or she is at the facility. Additionally, an ethical dilemma will exist because of a patient’s right will conflict with a physician obligation of providing quality of care to an individual. This was the case with the 25-year-old female with breast cancer. References Bishop, L. (2003). Ethics Background. Kennedy Institute of Ethics. Retrieved on June 8, 2011 from: http://www.nwabr.org/education/pdfs/PRIMER/Background.pdf Michels, R. (1981). The Right to Refuse Treatment: Ethical Issues. American Psychiatric Association, 32(1), 251-255. Miller, F., Fins, J., Snyder, L. (2000). Assisted suicide compared with refusal of treatment: a valid distinction?.Annals of Internal Medicine, 132(6), 470-475. Rosenthal, S. M. (2006). Patient Misconceptions and Ethical Challenges in Radioactive Iodine Scanning and Therapy. Journal if Nuclear Medicine Technology, 34( 3), 143-150. Smith, R. (2000). A good death: an important aim for health services and for us all. . British Medical Journal, 320(7228), 129-130. Stringer, S. (2009). Ethical issues involved in patient refusal of life-saving treatment. Cancer Nursing Practice, 8(3), 30-33. The Denise Roberts Breast Cancer Foundation . (2009). What is an Oncologist? Retrieved June 17, 2011 from http://www.tdrbcf.org/oncologist/index.html Womens Health Resource. (2011). Breast Cancer. Retrieved on June 17, 2011 from http://www.wdxcyber.com/breast_home.html

Honor and Bravery in Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Macbeth: Honor and Bravery A struggle is present in every tragedy, as a person tries to overcome their flaws and fit the mold of their ideal. William Shakespeare plainly defined a good man in the play, Macbeth. Prudence and logic, temperance and patience, as well as the vindication of honor are Shakespeare's defining characteristics of a good man. Honor and bravery are Shakespeare’s defining characteristics of a good man while illogical passion and impatience are characteristics that do not characterize a good man. As with any tragedy, Macbeth's title character and hero had to fall from his place of greatness to see his faults and begin his agonizing climb back to his previous position. His position, that of a good man, was one that demanded respect in the beginning of Macbeth. The Sergeant described Macbeth's honor and bravery to King Duncan in Act I, Scene 2. For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name/ Disdaining fortune, with his brandish'd steel/Which smoked with bloody execution/Like valour's minion carved out his passage/Till he faced the slave; Macbeth defended his king's honor as well as his own, as Shakespeare showed a good man never backed down from a foe. In the later acts of the play, Shakespeare furthered the definition of a good man by portraying what a bad one was not. In Macbeth's darkest hours, he showed no sign of prudence and logic as he slayed King Duncan, and hired assassins to murder his friend Banquo. Macbeth displayed his temerity in Act IV, Scene 1 saying, from this moment â€Å"the very firstlings of my heart shall be / The firstlings of my hand. / And even now, / To crown my thoughts with acts, be it thought and done† (Act #, Scene #, Line #). Macbeth was no longer the logical, thinking man whom many admired. He had become reckless, acting with only his passion and not his mind. The tragedy of the murders he brought on fair Scotland was a direct result of this violation of the criterion of a good man. The most apparent flaws, and perhaps the most tragic in Macbeth's character, is his lack of patience and temperance. These shortcomings haunted Macbeth, causing him to let his "overvaulting ambition" rush fate, and hasten his doom. Macbeth could not wait for an appointment to a position of more power. Instead, he murdered the king to take his place.

Descriptive Beach Trip Essay

I had five hours until my sister was off work, check in was at three o’ clock and she had to be present to do so anyway, I had to find something to do for those next hours. The Tahoe was roomy and I was exasperated, only running on two hours of sleep, so I climbed to the back and dozed off only to wake up in a cold sweat thirty minutes later; there was no way I was going back to sleep with the bright and early sun beating down on the black truck. I needed to go somewhere I could stay cool and entertained for six hours. But where, I had no idea what there was to do in Orange County let alone how to get anywhere. Then it dawned on me, we drove three hours away from home, I had to be close to some sort of beach. I googled the distance from my destination to the closest beach, only a fifteen minute drive to what I call paradise. I typed New Port beach in the GPS, started the truck, turned up the music, and turned Right onto Mac Arthur Street. After driving for about thirty minutes I heard my GPS robotic voice announce â€Å"you have reached your destination.† Pretty disappointing words to hear when the only water you see is filling the gutters. I turned into a gated community and rolled down my windows to ask directions; instantly knew I was close as the humid, hot, salty air hit my face, and ran through my nostrils. The scent sent a smile from cheek to cheek, enabling me to greet the vale with a pleasant hello. I was directed to take a left at the light and follow the road, â€Å"You’ll know when your there, it’s hard to miss.† I followed the road becoming more irritated with every building I passed. Fed up I came to the conclusion at the next light I will just turn around and find something else to do. At the thought of giving up it came into eyesight, there it was unbelievably blue waters with white waves washing up on the shore. I finally made it to my little piece of heaven. After circling those narrow crowded streets for what seemed like forever, I got lucky with a car leaving right in front of the beach. I slipped on my bathing suit, slapped some sunblock on, grabbed my purse, water, and fruit and was on my way. Less then a minute walk to finally feel the warm sand against the bottom of my bare feet. The only thing between my mini vacation and I was a bike lane, I gent ly kicked off my sandals one by one, smirking as my feet hit the hot concrete and crossed the lanes into the soft, warm, light golden sand. With every step a sense a peace fell over me, taking in every grain of sand between each toe. Settling  for the perfect spot, right next to the hundreds of huge dark brownish red boulders. They provided a walkway about twenty feet into the blue waters. I laughed watching the little kids scream as a wave slammed into the rocks splashing up and over the top of them. I whipped my blanket into place and watched it slowly take form of each crater in the sand, sliding my dress downward, feeling every ray of the sunshine hit every inch of my skin in the most perfect way. I take a seat at the edge of my blanket allowing my feet to explore the roasting sand while my eyes observe every bluish green curl of water spiral over into white splashes, racing up onto the shore line then slip back into the waters just in time to see the next wave fold over into white splashes again. I closed my eyes as I lay back, soaking up the sun taking in every sound, picturing everything going on around me. In the distance I could still hear the joyful screams of the children after the sound of the wave crashing into the rocks. To the right of me I could hear the group of a few teenage boys trying to impress each giggling giddy girl; whatever they were doing was working. Right above me was the sound of about eight or nine gossiping young ladies, a few chuckling as they hit a volleyball back and forth with no net. To left of my feet was the faint unclear chatter of a younger couple, to the right was a mother with her children and her mother, talking to the family next to them about a wagon that had heavy-duty tires. She got it at Costco on sale for 49.99 it was the best thing she had ever invested in. As a bead of sweat ran in between the roots of my thrown up hair I realized how hot I was and how amazing the water would feel against my toasting skin right then, at that thought I heard the sound of eager excited screams from children in the water and popped up to see what all the commotion was about. I look over to see the kids on the rocks jumping up and down pointing to the water with mouth wide-open smile s, then look straight ahead confused at what they were so happy about. I slide my glasses to the top of my head just in time to see a pale-blue dolphin plunge out of the water and drop back in so smoothly, then another and another. The sun reflected on their silky blue skin giving them a shine each time they sprung out of the blue swell. My mouth dropped into an amused smile, I sat and watched them as they disappeared into the depths of the waters. Only 3 more hours to enjoy this amazing place, I wiped the sweat off my forehead and sauntered to the shoreline scanning for any more  wildlife as the water crept up to my feet. I let out a mild squeal when cold dirty white water rushed up mid calf. I began to walk out further as the waves came crashing down around my waist splashing onto my face and chest, causing goose bumps to cascade from my arms down to my legs. Past the tide, I stood still as the water softly sways me from side to side, enjoying the view of the sun shining down on the calm blue waters. I winced at the small knot forming in the pit of my stomach as the thought of sharks cross my mind. I watched the ocean start to shape and create a cerulean blue wave, curling over into a roaring hefty wave. I wait until the very last second to dive in as the white waters swallow me up me, feeling the heavy wave rip right over my body from head to toe. I pop out inhaling while I wipe away the water, with a harsh salty taste left in my mouth, I was ready to do that again. The current was strong I was a bit to close to the rocks so I swam opposite direction, either jumping with motion of the ocean or diving under each flood stream. I stayed out there enjoying every wave for a while. I lost track of how long I was out there but I knew I had to be leaving soon so I rode the waves back until the water was running past my thighs, fighting the waters trying to suck me back in. I got back to my blanket and realized I was only in the water for maybe forty-five minutes, two more hours to appreciate this place. I didn’t have a towel so I went to go air dry out on the rocks. I climbed bare foot and chose each rock carefully but quickly. I hope from rock to rock far enough to a silent spot whe re no one was around. As it got later in the day the waves got stronger, so I sat on the biggest rock amongst the middle to not get wet. I lay down with my shades guarding my eyes, keeping me from squinting and enjoyed the view of the open waters. I looked down and watched as the clear droplets slowly glide down the notably darker skin tone of my thighs. It was a pretty hot day; I dried up hastily and went back to my blanket. Four o clock, only an hour left to cherish this trip. I went back in the water one last time leaving just to feel the waves cascade over my head and leap over each ripple of water. I walked back to my blanket with thirty minutes left; I taste the variety of cold fruit and every so often the crunch of bits of sand. I watch the sun get lower, bitter sweet that I had to leave soon. Much more bitter then sweet in fact lets just say only bitter; I could have stayed forever. Such a sweet escape, with the sand sticking to every wet  portion of skin it comes in contact with, sea creatures popping in and out of water, the exquisite salty blue waters tossing and turning, the sound of children screaming as the tide collides with them. Everything about it is blissful. It was time to go, I picked up my bag, shook off my blanket and started to walk back towards the car. Started to walk back towards reality and further away from the worlds sweetest escape â€Å"At the beach, life is different. A day moves not from hour to hour but leaps from mood to moment. We go with the currents, plan around the tides, follow the sun. We measure happiness by nothing we can hold†¦ nothing we can catch. Everywhere†¦Life is jumping and elusive and momentously momentary. We want to stretch the day, distill the memories, make them last. At the same time, we know that the beauty is in the evanescence.†(Gingras, 24) Cites Gingras, Sandy. How to live at the beach. New Jersey: Down Shore Publishing, 2001.

Persuasive Essay On Immunizations - 1774 Words

A wise Welsh man once said, â€Å"An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.† But, can that also be said about immunizations? According to the Medilexicon medical dictionary, â€Å"an immunization is the action of making a person or animal immune to infection, typically by inoculation.† The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides a more technical definition of immunizations by defining them as â€Å"the creation of immunity usually against a particular disease, treatment (as by vaccination) of an organism for the purpose of making it immune to a particular pathogen.† Most people feel that immunizations are a very important part of a health care regimen and should be mandatory for the majority of individuals. But over the past several years, questions have†¦show more content†¦Vaccinations are very safe and effective for most people. Immunizing individuals helps the health of our community, especially those individuals who cannot be immunized. An up-to-dat e immunization record should be kept on each and everyone who receives vaccinations. Likewise, some people should not receive vaccinations. These individuals should not receive vaccinations due to their age, health conditions, among other factors. These other conditions are independent depending on the type of vaccination received. â€Å"They can range from an individual who cannot swallow, to a pregnant woman, to a person with a life-threatening allergy, to a component in the vaccination† (Hales 543). A small percentage of individuals do not respond to a particular vaccine. †All states provide medical exemptions, and some state laws also offer exemptions for religious and philosophical reasons† (State Vaccination Requirements). â€Å"Some religions even prevent certain parents from vaccinating their children because of their belief that the disease is a naturally occurring thing and humans have no right interfering with it† (Hales 544). However, most state laws establish vaccination requirements for school children. These laws apply to public schools, private schools, and day care centers. â€Å"State laws also establish mechanisms for enforcement of school vaccination requirements† (State Vaccination Requirement). â€Å"Vaccines saveShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Immunizations1600 Words   |  7 Pagespotentially be fatal to many people. However, immunizations can prevent outbreaks like this from occurring and save many lives in the process. While the 20th century had many medical breakthroughs immunizations are perhaps the single most important public health measure discovered (Anderson, 2015). Vaccines introduce weakened or killed antigens into the body that cause the disease; so the body can develop an immune response against the antigen. Immunizations are a primary prevention measure, which preventsRead MoreShould Vaccines Be Mandatory1492 Words   |  6 PagesShould Vaccinations be Mandatory? This essay will attempt to investigate the employment of the 23 plus vaccinations used today and how they defend the preventions and spread of diseases. The paper will support the pros and the cons of vaccinations that are supported by research statistics as well as the different symptoms that have been reported for each available vaccine. What is a vaccine? Vaccines have been defined as the development of depleted or killed microscopic organismsRead MoreA Chapter Analysis : Inoculation Theory944 Words   |  4 PagesChapter Analysis Essay: Inoculation Theory This theory is often explained and equated to vaccinations, immunizations, flu shots and the like; hence its name, Inoculation Theory. William McGuire, the originator of the theory in 1961, created the phrase attitude inoculation to refer to the process (Have your children had their anti-smoking shots?† 2004). The idea behind the theory is to cause resistance to persuasion as it comes against core beliefs or cultural truisms by inoculating the belief withRead MoreEssay about Arguments for and Against Mandatory Vaccination2269 Words   |  10 Pagesvaccination of girls have become sources of controversy for parents of school-aged youth, legislators, members of the medical community, and the public at large (Cooper et al. 2010). Evidence Based Arguments against Mandatory HPV Vaccination Childhood immunizations, such as measles, chicken pox, and polio, are mandatory for school-aged youth and are required because of their highly contagious nature, especially in settings where people congregate in large numbers (De Jong and Bouma, 2001). Therefore, parentsRead MorePersuasive Essay About Vaccines And Vaccinations2223 Words   |  9 PagesHailey Chirhart Paul Reid English Composition 2 June 8, 2015 Persuasive Essay Rough Draft You and your significant other have just found out that you’re pregnant. You will carry the baby for 9 months and you will protect it with your own body, but what happens after birth? What kind of protection should you provide them with? The question is to vaccinate, or to not vaccinate? First off, let’s start with what a vaccine is. A vaccine is a substance that produces antibodies and provides immunity against