Decision-Making Investigation

Ethical Dilemma 

One ethical dilemma I may encounter in the workplace is a nurse’s refusal to administer a legally prescribed medication due to personal religious or moral beliefs. This situation creates an ethical conflict between the nurse’s right to conscientious objection and the patient’s right to receive timely and necessary care. This dilemma could lead to patient harm, discrimination, or even legal repercussions if not handled properly: Decision-Making Investigation.

Ethical Problem-Solving Methodology

I would use the Four-Quadrant Approach (Jonsen, Siegler, & Winslade, 2015) combined with the Ethical Decision-Making Model to resolve this dilemma.

Four-Quadrant Approach

I would apply the Four-Quadrant Approach, which accommodates four fundamental areas in ethical decision-making as postured by Sokol (2024)). Medical indications confirm the necessity of treatment, while patient preferences ensure informed consent. Quality of life examines the impact of care denial, and contextual features address legal and institutional policies. This structured approach balances ethical obligations and patient rights.

Ethical Decision-Making Model (ACHE)

ACHE enhances this process by helping to identify problems and the information needed to address them, generate options for consideration, implement decisions, and assess outcomes. This supports regular, fair, and rational decision-making in the best interest of patients and the duty of healthcare providers and legal jurisdictions.

Possible Solutions and Impacts

One possible solution to this ethical dilemma is asking the nurse to administer the medication, ensuring immediate patient care and preventing treatment delays. However, this may go against the nurse’s belief system and cause moral stress, emotional exhaustion, or even resignation. Another option is allowing the nurse to decline providing treatment, which respects the provider’s autonomy but risks patient discrimination, delays in care, and potential legal consequences.

Notably, the best approach is having a referral or delegation policy in which the nurse may opt out while the patient can be assured of receiving adequate care on time. This balances patient rights and provider integrity and the need for institutional policies to prevent overuse and misuse of refusals while protecting ethical and legal healthcare practice.

Impact of My Values

My core values—compassion, integrity, accountability, and respect for autonomy—strongly shape my ethical decision-making process. Compassion guarantees that the care of patients is always the foremost concern, leading me to make decisions that generate maximum benefit and minimum harm. Integrity binds me to ethical and legal standards while juggling opposing interests and ensuring fairness in decision-making.

Accountability makes me responsible for ensuring ethical decisions do not harm patients, emphasizing professional accountability (Varkey, 2020). Respect for autonomy enables me to maintain the patient’s right to care and the nurse’s right to moral standards without sacrificing safety. The values enable the application of a referral system, patient safety, ethical consistency, and workplace justice in healthcare decision-making.

Impact of Two Ethical Theories

Deontology (Kantian Ethics)

Deontology is a theory based on the idea that duty is the primary moral principle, and any action has to be undertaken out of duty and not consequences. In healthcare organizations, professionals are morally obligated to attend to people despite what they perceive. The nurse who refuses to administer the drug violates this ethic as they are expected to act for the best of the patient. According to deontology, professional duties take precedence over self-interest and protect the well-being of the patients (Tseng & Wang, 2021).

Utilitarianism (Consequentialism)

According to utilitarianism, ethical decisions should benefit the greatest number of people. Such protectionism could make patients victims of discrimination and create a healthcare crisis characterized by a shortage of care providers. A referral system fits well into the utilitarian approach since it enhances patients’ rights and utilities while addressing providers’ risks.

Impact of Two Ethical Principles

Autonomy (Respect for Individual Rights)

Autonomy emphasizes individuals’ right to make informed decisions about their healthcare. This dilemma entails accommodating the patient’s right to beneficial treatment and the nurse’s right to maintain her conscience. Even when a nurse cannot give medication due to personal beliefs, patient self-determination is crucial as it prevents healthcare deprivation. This means that the structured referral system protects patient rights without putting the provider in a compromising ethical position.

Justice (Fair and Equitable Treatment)

Justice ensures fair and equal access to healthcare for all patients. If a nurse refuses treatment without an alternative plan, it may lead to discrimination and inequitable care. A clear institutional policy requiring referrals balances ethical fairness, patient access, and provider rights.

Using Ethical Problem-Solving for Future Decisions

Adherence to problem-solving conforms to ethical and legal benchmarks in future problems and provides structure, objectivity, and fairness. Policies need to be set by the institution to provide clear directives regarding ethical concerns and avoid confusion. Subsequently, training healthcare staff promotes organizational workplace culture by ensuring that providers adhere to ethical standards and conduct themselves appropriately.

Conducting discussions on ethical dilemmas on a recurrent basis helps build the organizational culture of accountability and fosters ethical decision-making. Thus, by applying these ethical frameworks, it will be possible to make fair, benevolent, and lawful decisions in case of other ethical conflicts regarding patients’ rights, service providers, and institutional legal mandates.

References

Sokol, D. K. (2024, August). The “four quadrants” approach to clinical ethics case analysis; an application and review. ResearchGate; BMJ Publishing Group. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5260793_The_four_quadrants_approach_to_clinical_ethics_case_analysis_an_application_and_review

Tseng, P.-E., & Wang, Y.-H. (2021). Deontological or utilitarian? An eternal ethical dilemma in the outbreak. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 1–13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8391290/

Varkey, B. (2020). Principles of Clinical Ethics and Their Application to Practice. Medical Principles and Practice, 30(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

As a healthcare manager, you will need to make ethical decisions that will have an impact on your employees and the organization. Completing this ethical review process will help with your decision-making and help you explain the theories, values, and methodologies used in making ethical decisions.

In this assessment, you will discuss your experiences with ethics, including your ethical values, ethical theories, and an ethical decision you made. Remember, as you share your ethical experiences with your faculty member, do not discuss information and details regarding a company or individual by name that is not public information.

Respond to the following investigation prompts in 75-150 words each:

Decision-Making Investigation

• Identify an ethical dilemma you may encounter in the workplace. (Your answer to this item does not need to be 75-150 words.)
• Describe how you would use an ethical problem-solving methodology or decision model to investigate your current ethical dilemma.
• Describe the possible solutions and impacts of making decisions about this dilemma.
• Explain what impact your values may have on your decision.
• Explain what impact 2 specific ethical theories may have on your decision for the dilemma.
• Explain what impact 2 specific ethical principles may have on your decision.
• Explain how you could use this formal ethical problem-solving method to have a positive impact on future ethical decisions in the workplace.

Cite at least two reputable references according to APA guidelines. One reference must be your textbook, Ethics: Theory and Contemporary Issues. Reputable references include trade or industry publications, government or agency websites, scholarly works, a textbook, or other sources of similar quality.

Please Note:

• Each response (other than the first one) must be 75 – 150 words in length.
• You must use a heading for each of the required elements. Failure to do so will result in a 5% or more penalty.