Surrogacy and Kant - 1558 Words

Ethical Decision Making Paper The following case involves a seventy one year old male patient who told his family if the time ever came when he could not sustain life on his own he didn’t want measures taken to do so. This patient found out in the late summer of 2008 he had stage four pancreatic cancer. The doctor gave him about four weeks to live. At this point he took things into his own hands and made his daughter durable power of attorney for his healthcare needs. Over the next few weeks he became very week and could no longer walk. He stopped eating and drinking due to the mixture of him not feeling well and the medication he was taking. Eventually Hospice was called in to help assist with him and provide some comfort†¦show more content†¦The daughter of the patient also thought she was doing well by following her father’s wishes. At this point with the patient is in the last few days of his life the best thing at this point would be to honor his last wish and do nothing to sustain his life any longer. The second of the ethical theories we are looking at is Utilitarianism which is an act that Is right if it helps bring about the best balance of benefits over burdens (Purtilo 73). Utilitarianism is an effort to provide an answer to the practical question â€Å"What ought a man to do?† Its answer is that he ought to act so as to produce the best consequences possible (Hamric, : Spross, and Hanson, 2000)... There are not many consequences of taking out the IV line because the end result is still terminal. Step 4: Exploring the Practical Alternatives: Option 1- The patient stated to his daughter his wishes regarding the issue of his healthcare. The patient clearly stated when the time came for him to die if he could not sustain life on his own he wanted no steps taken to prolong his life. Therefore while he was still in sound mind he made his daughter Durable power of attorney over his healthcare needs. The patient should have signed a DNR to insure his wishes were followed through with. In that situation there would have been no doubt or second guessing by the family on what he wanted. Option 2- The family had aShow MoreRelatedEthical Dilemmas Of Utilitarianism And Deontology1368 Words   |  6 PagesConsidering Ethical Dilemmas through Utilitarianism and Deontology Kant’s theory of deontology and Mill’s theory of utilitarianism provide starkly different approaches to assigning moral value to ethical dilemmas, two modern dilemmas being commercial surrogacy and physician-assisted suicide. This essay will expound upon the process of deciding moral value within each ethical theory and then apply this decision process to the two ethical dilemmas. Arguments will be posited in support or in opposition toRead MoreCommercial Surrogacy : A Current Complex Issue That Evokes Strong Moralistic Response1327 Words   |  6 Pagesbehavior. Though it is impossible for these legislative decisions to please every single individual in a society, these governs are passed in morality of the thousands of elected parties in charge. Commercial surrogacy is a current complex issue that evokes strong moralistic response. Commercial surrogacy takes away the childbearing element in the reproductive period for individuals looking to have or extend a family. It has opened the doors for many who cannot bear children of their own though this behaviorRead MoreEthical Dilemmas for Nurses on End of Life Issues5633 Words   |  23 Pagesdown by Beauchamp and Childress in 1979, and form the framework within which medical ethics is now normally taught to student doctors and nurses as reported in (Warnock, 2005). In autonomy we respect a patient’s right to self-determination, but surrogacy may be invoked where a patient loses the capacity to express their wishes. While in Beneficence-we should promote good for our patient, always. In the Ethical principle of Non-maleficence states ‘First do no harm’ while the justice principle