Table of Contents Ethical Decision MakingConclusionReferencesTony, a competent 67-year-old, was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. He admits to the hospital staff that he does not want any treatment and informs them that he has already signed an advance medical directive (AMD). This means that he does not want any resuscitation or treatment that could prolong his life, because his Christian religion requires that he die with dignity. However, his wife and daughter opposed his decision and asked the doctor to offer him treatment that would prolong his life. The doctor is therefore torn between refusing life-prolonging treatment and administering it according to the family's request. The ethical questions in this case concern autonomy, non-maleficence, and utility. In this essay, the decision-making process will be applied to resolve the dilemma and discuss the implications of the problem for nursing practice. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Ethical Decision Making As noted by Rubulotta and Rubulotta (2013), the issue of resuscitation has always given rise to ethical dilemmas in health care due to the need to adhere to the patient autonomy, while respecting the principle of non-maleficence. Respecting patient autonomy requires that the patient's decision regarding the desired health care intervention be respected (Avasthi, Ghosh, Sarkar, & Grover, 2013). This implies that the doctor must respect Tony's decision not to be resuscitated, regardless of the wishes of his wife and daughter. Since Tony is competent, the decision he makes should guide the doctor's actions. If the doctor administers life-prolonging treatment as Tony's wife and daughter request, he will violate Tony's autonomy. However, the positive benefits of resuscitation, such as restoration of life, are an aspect considered by most doctors (Marco, n.d.). (In-text citation must include dates. Cannot use 'nd') Such benefits create a conflict between autonomy and non-maleficence, which dictates that no harm should be caused to patients. However, the literature shows that resuscitation drains family members' finances and resources and causes the patient to live a suboptimal life (Ahmed, Mudasser, Khan, & Abdoun, 2016). Therefore, the doctor must respect Tony's decision not to give him life-prolonging treatment. An ethical conflict also arises between autonomy and utilitarianism. The principle of utility states that the best action should be that which maximizes the greatest possible benefits for the greatest number of individuals (Mandal, Ponnambath, & Parija, 2016). Following the principle of utility, the doctor must consider the request of Tony's wife and daughter in this way; net profits will be maximized. This is in the sense that resurrecting Tony will bring happiness to his wife, daughter and another family member whose desire is to see Tony last longer. On the other hand, not resuscitating Tony will only benefit him, while causing harm to his family members, and to the doctor whose relationship with Tony's family members, who are potential clients, will be ruined. As noted by Adams, Bailey, Anderson, and Docherty (2011), when making end-of-life decisions, it is important for the physician to develop and maintain trusting relationships with the client's family members. With this in mind, not resuscitating Tony would ruin the doctor's relationship with his family. Therefore, to maximize profits, the doctor must preserve Tony's life. By choosingthe best action of the doctor, it will be important to refer to the rights of the patient which have been stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to WHO (2018), the Informative Patient Rights Model asserts that patients are the best judges of their own interests and should therefore make their own decisions. To ensure that they make the best decision, the doctor must provide them with enough information. Regarding this right, the doctor must respect Tony's decision not to be resuscitated or undergo treatment to prolong his life. The fact that Tony has already signed an advanced medical directive implies that he is in his proper mental state and has every right to make decisions regarding his health. Therefore, the doctor must ensure that he does not violate his rights by carrying out what the wife and daughter ask him to do. Physicians have an obligation to provide patient-centered care to patients. This means that their services must be consistent with and respect the patient's preferences, values, and interests (Ogden, Barr, & Greenfield, 2017). If the doctor chooses to listen to Tony's wife and daughter, he will have violated his obligation to provide patient-centered care. Given this obligation, the doctor has a responsibility to respect Tony's decision and only provide him with services that keep him pain-free and comfortable. The doctor must also respect Tony's Christian values ​​and let him die in the way he deems worthy. Following this discussion, the benefits of not resuscitating Tony outweigh those of resuscitating him as his wife and daughter propose. Therefore, based on IDEA's ethical decision-making process, the doctor's best action would be to comply with Tony's request and let him go home. By letting Tony go home; the doctor will respect the ethical decision of the patient's autonomy. (“going home refers to death and not home” sentence needs to be changed) Additionally, the doctor will have fulfilled the obligation to provide patient-centered care. This is in the sense that he will have respected Tony's preferences to receive only painless care, as well as his Christian values ​​of dying with dignity. Communication with family members about the decision should be done in a way that improves their satisfaction. Thus, good communication plays a vital role in preventing psychological distress among family members, according to Caswell, Pollock, Harwood, and Porock (2015). The doctor must therefore inform them of the decision not to resuscitate him, citing the reasons why this decision was made. We need to make them understand why Tony's decision trumps theirs. Implementation should be documented, with regular monitoring to ensure Tony remains comfortable and pain-free. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Conclusion Decisions about resuscitation and life-prolonging treatment pose various ethical questions for healthcare professionals. To ensure that these ethical dilemmas are effectively addressed, nurses must understand the ethical principles and code of conduct of nursing. Such an understanding will ensure that nursing actions and decisions are consistent with professional conduct and avoid instances where nurses are held liable for negligence in their profession. Tony's case demonstrates why nurses should know ethical principles. Case analysis impacts nursing practice by challenging nurses to ensure that all nursing actions are/