Ethical Situation and Application of Moral Reasoning

Ethical Situation and Application of Moral Reasoning

During my internship at a local hospital, I counseled a suicidal patient who was against admission to a psychiatric hospital. According to the local state law, my patient was qualified for an involuntary hospitalization into a psychiatric institution to ensure the patient’s safety. However, I committed to meeting with the patient twice a week. My patient had not responded to medication well, which made me question whether this kind of hospitalization would benefit the patient. Additionally, I was afraid that the involuntary hospitalization would cause my patient to lose trust in me. Consequently, if she were to be discharged later, she may drop out of counseling and therapy sessions, increasing her vulnerability to suicide. Nonetheless, I wanted to save my patient.

Moral reasoning is a species of practical reasoning, including deciding what to do in a particular situation and issuing an intention based on what is considered universally right or wrong (Richardson, 2003). In this situation, the moral reasoning revolved around protecting the patient from suicide. I was faced with challenges including legal liability, protection of the patient immediately, personal liability, and protecting the patient in the long run. Morally, I was expected to put the patient’s needs first and consider how this might affect others. If I had signed the patient into an involuntary hospitalization due to personal liability, the patient would have lost trust and hope in the people she initially trusted. Upon discharge, she was likely to relapse into suicidal thoughts, which would not save the patient from suicide. I could also reason that nobody could have accused me of negligence if I had put the patient into an involuntary hospitalization; thus, this would protect my interests. Therefore, this short-term solution, which revolved around self-protection, may have increased the possibility of the patient committing suicide after losing faith and trust in caregivers. She might even withhold information in a therapy session and decline treatment. Based on this reasoning, it is morally right to focus on the sustainable welfare of the patient and insist on meeting with her frequently and adopting more effective approaches to help her in therapy.

Reference

Richardson, H. S. (2003). Moral reasoning. Stanford University.

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Application of Moral Reasoning

Remember an ethical situation you have found yourself in and describe it. Then, moral reasoning will be applied to this situation.