Analysis Of The Principle Of Nonmaleficence Disallowing

Improved Essays
Mark Hilberman and his team discussed that the principle of nonmaleficence disallowed resuscitation if it produces a greater harm for the patient, thus issuing DNR order is acceptable to (or “intending to”) avoid patient suffering even worse (Hilberman et al., 1997). Similarly, if the physician believes that CPR is likely ineffective and only gives a minimal benefit to the patient, CPR may be considered as a futile treatment (Layon, 1994). Therefore, DNR is the best option for the patient in that particular condition (Braddock & Derbenwick, 2014; Edwards et al., 2003). In most cases, a patient who is assigned with DNR notice is usually the person who has a terminal illness, poor prognosis, or in the process of dying, where the condition is …show more content…
The result indicated the patient who obtained score higher than five (referring to the score for poor prognoses such as metastatic cancer, sepsis, and dependent functional status) is likely made a preferable for a physician to issue the DNR. Also, from the weight between benefit and harm of issuing the DNR in terms of resource allocation, at least two study shows that it can bring significant reduction in resource used, particularly when the DNR order is issued early in the hospital stay (Bion, 1995; Rapoport, Teres, & Lemeshow, 1996). For instance, admission to intensive care unit should be offered only to the patient who will likely benefit from it. This evidence suggests that the seriousness of the condition of a patient can be a basis for the DNR …show more content…
The former, allowing death to take place in the natural process which also provide the patient with dignity (Venneman et al., 2008), while the latter enables death to happen in force with the intent to die faster (Beauchamp & Davidson, 1979; Vilela & Caramelli, 2009) such as withholding patient’s ventilation and nutrition support to stop their breathing and let them die of starvation. Indirectly, this definition already gives an open cut between the DNR and euthanasia. Surely, the healthcare providers are responsible to continue providing the basic care to the DNR patients, including oxygen therapy, and nutrition, consistent with their goal of care (Downar et al., 2011; Lippert, Raffay, Georgiou, Steen, & Bossaert, 2010). Even though both parts have a similar end, which is death, but death with euthanasia may experience a greater suffering. Even though some might suggest ending life with euthanasia is painless (Abdurezak Abdulahi Hashi, 2015; Beauchamp & Davidson, 1979), it still can be debated. Nevertheless, the fact that need to be highlighted is the DNR order should not be associated with euthanasia in the first place unless the DNR order is misused or abused. Understandably, this act of abusing patient is immoral since the responsibility of health care provider is to care for them until the last breath, as easily as to alleviate suffering and offer

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The ethical dilemma here is that the patient is still lucid and not in a terminal state, should the medical staff ignore the DNR on a chart and hospitalize the patient with an intubation and ventilator or go with the patient's wishes? Since the patient is still lucid and understands the conditions, should the medical staff asks the patient's opinion if option if he/she will like to be hospitalized and incubated? Another ethical dilemma most common in the long-term care facility are the ethical dilemmas faced by the medical staff (nurses' aide, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses) in the use of restraints on dementia…

    • 105 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In this paper, we are going to present an analysis regarding medical ethics, specifically Euthanasia and we will try to describe the position of a Consequentialist, Deontologist, and Virtue ethics philosophers and what their decision will be in reference to this dilemma. Subsequently we will compare and choose which position is the most appropriate to handle this ethical dilemma and explain why the others positions do not work. We will do our best to present enough evidence to support the reasoning behind our selection. Anything that involves a decision about ending a person’s life regardless of the circumstances, presents ethical dilemmas on how or why this can be done or even worse accepted.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    This literature review will examine the pre-existing research undertaken on family presence during adult resuscitation (FPDAR) to determine health professional attitudes and experiences in critical care environments regarding FPDAR within Europe. The topic FPDAR was chosen due to the authors experience whilst in placement of a family member being refused permission to remain with their loved one during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The reason the family member was refused permission to remain at the bedside was because there was no hospital policy that stated if a family member was or was not permitted to remain. The author wanted to understand why FPDAR was not being encouraged in practice as the role of a nurse is to provide patient with…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Should Euthanasia be banned? The topic of euthanasia arouses much ethical debate and controversy. Euthanasia is the termination of a person’s life to end their suffering, usually through the injection of drugs. Debates about the ethics of euthanasia and medical assisted suicide date from ancient Greece and Rome.…

    • 2032 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    These are all end of life decisions that must be talked about, so that one’s family would know what to do in case of a situation involving any of these. CPR is a procedure used when someone’s heart stops or breathing stops (Understanding Advance Directives, 2006). DNR is a written order signed by a physician to stop healthcare teams from preforming CPR. This is only done by the request of the patient and can be cancelled at any time (Understanding Advance Directives, 2006). DNI, may be asked for along with the DNR, is the placement of tubes through a person’s nose or mouth to enter the windpipe to help them breath.…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Many wonder if euthanasia is right and moral and if it is not what should be done when being faced with this situation. I think the best way to look at physician-assisted euthanasia is through consequentialism and deontology. It’s important we look at the consequences of physician-assisted suicide because they are literally the difference between life and death. A patient that is gravely ill or in a coma may be diagnosed and given a time limit until death, however, some patients have surprised their doctors.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The reasons behind Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted suicide (PAS) claim that terminally ill people should have the right to end their suffering with a quick, dignified, and compassionate death (Should Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide be Legal?). The right to die is every human’s choice. Choosing Euthanasia or Physician-Assisted Suicide can provide a terminally ill patient with a good end. It can also make it easier on the patients’ family knowing that they chose that it was their time to go. When choosing Euthanasia, the patient is showing strength and dignity.…

    • 610 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    (334). For many cases, the pain that a patient endours is worse than the thought death. People should not be forced to be tormented by their own pain. If a patient expresses to a nurse or doctor that they are in an enormous amount of pain and do not want to be revived, then medical practitioners should be allowed to use a no code. Medical staff should not be forced to keep continuously dying people alive and watch those people cry out in…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For this third clinical, we were now taking care of two patients. Knowing that I would have two patient to care for and give medications to, made me anxious and stressed. I knew everything was going to be fine, it’s was just the fact that I wasn’t used to having that much of a responsibility. The concern that I had for this clinical was making sure that I did everything correctly and completed everything on time. As the time passed during clinical, I felt more at eased knowing that my patient were resting and well taken care of.…

    • 1719 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    There are currently three states in the United States of America that has legalized euthanasia, one of which is Oregon as reported by Friend (2011). Physician assisted suicide (PAS) or euthanasia is defined as intentional ending of individual’s life chiefly by taking a lethal dose of a substance prescribed by a physician as stated by Friend (2011). Furthermore, Friend (2011) states that dying with dignity, which often means dying without needless physical suffering is one of the protagonists of dying with PAS. In addition, Friend (2011) references that PAS and the nurses whom receive directives from the physician are a major component in euthanasia. According to Friend (2011), assisting a patient with their death, whether it is with dignity or not is somewhat of a problem for nurses and physicians because they both have a responsibility to the patient to do no harm.…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Physician Assisted Suicide

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Controversies have been revolving around the reckless outcomes in the legality of euthanasia. Also known as mercy killing, euthanasia is the implementation of dismissing a life with a terminal illness or intolerable suffering. In the levels of morality and professionalism, it is ludicrous to assist termination of one’s life, especially in a passive or involuntary way. Legalization of euthanasia has proven higher levels of convictions in non-voluntary euthanasia. Thus, the United States as well as many other countries around the world, have developed a negative reputation from controversial cases surrounding assisted suicides.…

    • 1177 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Terri Schiavo Case Summary

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Terri Schiavo case gained national awareness on when and how the law defines death. Terri Shiavo had a fatal cardiac arrest that left her in a “vegetated state,” in other words the brain tissue had died due to lack of oxygen. Since the patient was married and in this state for 15 years, the patient’s husband had petitioned the courts to stop nutritional feedings and allow the patient to die. Firmly against this decision, the parents of the patient, fought the husband in court for the right to continue tube feedings, citing that it is unethical to withhold food and water. The husband claimed that Terri Shaivo made a statement about not living on life support should the worst happened.…

    • 1268 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    The discussion on physician-assisted death (PAD) and euthanasia has been fenced with controversy whether by the media or in philosophy. Considerably, the arguments that surround this issue has increased periodically due to the fact that health care and medicine has evolved continuously to safeguard not just patients and families, but all health care providers as well. Physician assisted death is “the voluntary termination of one’s own life by administration of a lethal substance with the direct or indirect assistance of a physician” (Westefeld et al., 2013, p. 539). Oftentimes, PAD is erroneously used interchangeably with euthanasia. According to Dieterle, euthanasia occurs when the active instigator of death is the physician.…

    • 1312 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Euthanasia has been the topic of debate for years. The issue of surrounded by euthanasia effects ethical and legal that relates to patient and health care professionals (Naga & Mrayyan, 2013). Euthanasia is defined as the active killing of patients by doctor at the request of the patients. There are several types of euthanasia, active and passive, voluntary and involuntary. Active euthanasia refers steps that are taking to cause death; passive euthanasia refers to step that are taking to cause death by withholding treatment.…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Benefits Of Euthanasia

    • 1350 Words
    • 5 Pages

    “I’d rather be dead than be in a wheelchair, or need a respirator to help me breathe” ("Right to Die: Should Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Be Legal). Terminally ill patients often state they’d be better off dead. Euthanasia is a quiet, painless death used for terminally ill patients. Terminally ill patients are those patients who cannot be cured and are already at great risk of dying. Terminally ill patients only have a life expectancy of six months or less.…

    • 1350 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays