An ethical dilemma is often referred to as a complicated situation which involves two conflicting mental ideas. In most of the cases, the issues addressed in the conflict are often based on moral imperatives. This, therefore, creates a situation where honoring one ideology means that the other one will have to be disgraced and in the process causing a great misunderstanding between the two parties involved. In some occasion, a situation like this is called an ethical paradox (White, 1992). In some of the cases, ethical dilemmas are often invoked in a bid to refute the moral code in the society or at times to improve the moral code so as to resolve the paradox. In a bid to refute some of the vague arguments, one party can peg the argument on the fact that the argument presented by the other party is just an illusion and does not exists in real life situation.
In the case study provided, we are given the case of a child with whom his parents divorced and his custody given to the single mother who is not exactly his biological parent and has a strong belief in religion to the extent that she finds it odd for the child to be taken to the hospital claiming that they should not have taken a religious problem to the hospital. On the other having however, the child’s father is a resident at a different state which means that the distance separating the father and the child’s mother is quite large. Besides, when the father of the child learns of the child’s illness prefers to take the child to his personal physician of his choice, a point which he strongly insists.
According to this case study therefore, there is a long list of ethical dilemmas that are facing this family. First, the mother of the child does not want the child to be taken to the hospital claiming that the problem affecting the child is nothing but just a spiritual issue which should be taken to church according to her. Her decision however, is not acceptable in the society in general and even to her ex-husband for that matter. Therefore the first conflict is bound to erupt in a case where the man wants his son to be taken to a good physician for treatment but the ex-wife is the issue. This issue gets more complicated in the sense that the women is most likely to win that debate based on the fact that she was given the custody of the child (Davis, & Davis, 1997). The moral society on the other hand does not approve of the woman’s decision to take the child to a religious center for treatment, therefore both the morality of the society and the decision of the ex-husband are both against the ex-wife’s ideologies.
The first step of an ethical decision making process is gathering facts, defining the ethical issues, identifying the affected parties, identifying the consequences, identifying the obligations, considering my character, thinking clearly on the possible action, gathering confidence and executing the best ethical action for a situation. In this case therefore, the facts at hand entail the fact that the two parents are at loggerheads and will not come to a mutual agreement with each other on the way forward. The ethical issues as illustrated above revolve around the illness of the child and the struggles that the child has to go through due to the disagreement of the parents so that in the long run the child can receive treatments and fully recover. The affects parties here are the parents of the child and the child as well (Kane, & Caplan, 1990). Therefore, the consequences that will follow if the ethical issue is not properly solved will result in the child’s condition growing worse and worse and might eventually lead to his ultimate death if left unattended to.
Ex-Wife: Why did you allow my son to be admitted to the hospital?
Me: We totally respect your opinion about divine intervention, but as we do that we must also acknowledge that this life we are talking about is the life of your son. We are however aware that you would do anything to make him safe and so would we, and that is the main reason why we cannot gamble with the life of this child. We will treat him to the best of our ability, then you can continue praying for him so that God can heal him but in the meantime just let us do our job and allow God to do his. I hope that way we will both go home happy.
Ex-Husband: I appreciate that generosity sir, but I have a private physician with whom I would like to attend to my son.
Me: that is a great idea, however, we have run out of time and anything you are going to do with your son right now will only worsen his condition. The sooner he gets medical attention, the better. Thank you all for your patience and we will do our very best to make your son better.
Reference
White, G. B. (1992). Ethical dilemmas in contemporary nursing practice. Washington, D.C: American Nurses Pub.
Davis, A. J., & Davis, A. J. (1997). Ethical dilemmas and nursing practice. Stamford, Conn: Appleton & Lange.
Kane, R. A., & Caplan, A. L. (1990). Everyday ethics: Resolving dilemmas in nursing home life. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
