Question

What is the difference between an ethical dilemma and ethical choice?

Answer 1

Difference between Ethical dilemma and Ethical choice:

Ethics are the standards that govern the conduct of a person , especially a member of a profession. They are the moral standards to be be kept by the members of the profession. Dilemma is a circumstance in which a choice must be made between two or more alternatives that seem equally undesirable.

An ethical dilemma is a decision making problem , in which two or more ethical standards apply to a situation which are in conflict with each other. There will be a situational conflict in which obeying one ethical standard may transgress another ethical standard. Where as Ethical choice or the ethical decision making is a process of making a choice or a decision based on the ethical principles and by evaluating and choosing among alternatives . Example for Ethical choice include any decision based on ethical principles; A nurse is obtaining an informed consent from a patient before a surgical procedure. This is an ethical action resulting from an  ethical choice based on the ethical principle Autonomy. Here nurse display the respect for patient's right for decision making or  autonomy. So she made the ethical choice of getting the informed consent.  

Example for ethical dilemma : maintaining confidentiality ( ethical principle) regarding the disease condition of an HIV patient, without revealing his condition to the family members. If the patient need a home care that is going to conduct by any of the family member and that includes the procedure of  wound dressing changes, a risk of contact with the blood or body fluids, then the health professionals will be in ethical dilemma, that they have to keep the Principle of confidentiality and same time they should not harm ( non- maleficence) the   family members by keeping the information in secret.