Question

Make up  two examples of ethical dilemmas. Resolve the ethical dilemmas you create according to the solution steps of the ethical dilemmas. Your homework should not exceed 4 pages. List the references you use.  Use Times New Roman 12 font, 1.5 line spacing in your assingment.

Answer 1

ETHICAL DILEMMAS

Introduction

An ethical dilemma (ethical paradox or moral dilemma) is a problem in the decision-making process between two possible options, neither of which is absolutely acceptable from an ethical perspective. Although we face many ethical and moral problems in our life, most of them come with relatively straightforward solutions.

Definitions

Ethics:

· The code of conduct or behaviour governing an individual or a group (as the members of the profession).

· The complex of ideas, beliefs or standards that characterizes or pervades a group, community or people.

Dilemma:

· A difficult problem seemingly incapable of a satisfactory solution. A situation involving choice between equally unsatisfactory alternatives.   

                                                              -Aroskar et al

· Perplexing situation.   

                             -Merriam Webster Dictionary

Ethical Dilemmas :

Ethical dilemmas are situations involving conflicting morals claims, and give rise in such questions as :

· What ought I to do?

· What harm and benefit result from this decision or actions?

· What is good (virtue) or what is duty (right)?

                                                             -Aroskar et al

Ethical Dilemmas in Business

· Informational and emotional deception in negotiation.

· Managers’ moral reasoning.

· Data mining

· Gender differences

· Managerial and technical work

· Information technology

Ethical Dilemmas in Social Work

· Ethical dilemma occurs when social workers must choose between two contradictory ethical principles or directives.

· Conflict may arise between patients, families, agency staffs, and government regulations.

· Tensions may arise in homecare.         

Social Workers dilemma

· Social workers reported that the most common issues were patient competence and confusion because of the lack of advance directives

Ethical Dilemmas Physician faced

· Three possible areas of decision making have been Identified:

· Using all possible means to keep the patients alive (ordinary & extraordinary means).

· Surgeons experience ethical dilemmas in deciding the right treatment in different situations.

· Taking some “positive” steps to hasten individual’s death.

Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing

· The challenge of decision making .

· The sanctity of life vs the quality of life.

· Informed consent

· Truth-telling – the question “am I going to die? This raises important issues about truth telling.

Process to solve an ethical dilemma

The biggest challenge of an ethical dilemma is that it does not offer an obvious solution that would comply with ethical norms. Throughout the history of humanity, people have faced such dilemmas, and philosophers aimed and worked to find solutions to them.The following approaches to solve an ethical dilemma were deduced:

· Refute the paradox (dilemma): The situation must be carefully analyzed. In some cases, the existence of the dilemma can be logically refuted.

· Value theory approach: Choose the alternative that offers the greater good or the lesser evil.

· Find alternative solutions: In some cases, the problem can be reconsidered, and new alternative solutions may arise.

Example

Nurse has to convey that patient is diagnosed with end stage of cancer. Nurse has the ethical dilemma that the information to be conveyed or not. She has the concern that it will make patient depressed and deteriorate disease condition.

Steps to solve this ethical dilemma:

she has to analyse the patient in terms of tolerance level , emotional stability ,prognosis etc.She can convey the information in a positive way that the patient has cancer and many patients whom the nurse have cared with the similar case recovered and leading a normal life. Hence this explanation will reduce patient anxiety and provide an expectation which will help the patient to focus on his health and to improve the condition.

Conclusion

Ethical dilemmas are extremely complicated challenges that cannot be easily solved. Therefore, the ability to find the optimal solution in such situations is critical to everyone.Every person may encounter an ethical dilemma in almost every aspect of their life, including personal, social, and professional.

References

· Danna, A., Oscar, G. (2002). All that glitters is not gold: Digging deep beneath the surface of data mining. Journal of business ethics . 40: 373-386. Kluwer academic publisher.

· Erdil, F., Korkmaz, F. (2009). Ethical problems observed by student nurse. Nursing ethics . 16 (5).

· Egan, M., Kadushin, G. (2001). Ethical dilemmas in homecare: A social work perspective. National association of social workers . 26 (3).

· Hunt, G. (1994). Ethical issues in nursing. London and New York. Rutledge.

· Monga, M. (2007). Managers’ moral reasoning: Evidence from large Indian manufacturing organization. Journal of business ethics . 71:179-194 DOI 10.1007/s10551-006-9133-2.

· Nordam, A., Torjuul, K., Venke, S. (2005). Action ethical dilemmas in surgery: an interview study of practicing surgeons . BMC Medical ethics. 6: 7 doi: 10. 1186/1472-1472-6939-6-7.