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Capella University

PHI FPX 3200 Ethics in Health Care

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Date

Tonya’s Case: Ethical Considerations in End-of-Life Care

Ethical Principles and Moral Theories

Tonya Archer, a teenage girl, was admitted to the hospital for surgery to repair her ACL tear but suffered cardiac arrest during transfer and eventually succumbed to brain death due to lack of blood flow. While medical professionals recommended removing Tonya from life support as further treatment was deemed futile, her parents insisted on continuing therapy, citing signs of life such as body warmth and a beating heart. This scenario raises ethical and moral dilemmas pertinent to end-of-life situations.

The ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice are pivotal in Tonya’s case. Autonomy denotes a patient’s right to make decisions regarding their treatment, with Tonya’s parents acting as her advocates in this scenario. However, parental autonomy does not supersede the obligation to avoid fruitless or harmful therapy. Healthcare practitioners must act beneficently, prioritizing the patient’s best interests. Considering Tonya’s irreversible condition and the exacerbation of her suffering with continued treatment, the medical team has determined that it is not in her best interest to prolong therapy. Acting without malice, healthcare professionals must avoid causing further harm, which would be the case with continued therapy. Justice necessitates equitable decision-making, unaffected by socioeconomic status, with the medical team basing their decision solely on medical judgment (Nandifa et al., 2020).

Moral Theory for the Case

Utilitarianism, a moral theory maximizing overall pleasure and minimizing suffering, is relevant to Tonya’s case. Under this approach, decisions are deemed ethical if they maximize joy or pleasure for the greatest number of individuals. Applying utilitarian principles to Tonya’s situation involves weighing the consequences of maintaining or removing her from life support. With Tonya diagnosed as brain-dead and no likelihood of benefiting from continued treatment, the medical consensus is to discontinue life support (Marseille & Kahn, 2019).

Utilitarian analysis necessitates evaluating potential outcomes. While removing Tonya from life support would undoubtedly cause anguish to her family, it would also alleviate her from further suffering. Conversely, maintaining life support would prolong Tonya’s agony without enhancing her well-being. Ultimately, from a utilitarian perspective, discontinuing life support aligns with maximizing overall happiness and minimizing suffering, albeit with emotional repercussions (Vearrier & Henderson, 2021).

Application of Professional Code of Ethics

Professional codes of ethics guide healthcare practitioners in fulfilling their duties towards patients. The American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics offers relevant principles for this scenario. Non-maleficence dictates avoiding harm to patients, justifying the recommendation to remove Tonya from life support to prevent prolonged suffering. Autonomy grants patients the right to make treatment decisions, upheld through surrogate decision-making by Tonya’s parents, who must act in her best interests. Beneficence obliges healthcare professionals to act in the patient’s best interests, validated by the conclusion that continued treatment offers no benefit to Tonya (Ebbs et al., 2020).

The medical team’s decision aligns with professional ethics, emphasizing beneficence, autonomy, and non-maleficence. While Tonya’s parents retain the right to advocate for her, the medical team is entrusted with providing treatment based on sound medical judgment and ethical standards.

Use of Organizational Documents

Organizational documents, such as mission and value statements, provide a framework for decision-making in healthcare settings. The hospital’s mission prioritizes quality care and patient well-being, supporting the decision to discontinue Tonya’s life support to alleviate her suffering. Values such as integrity, respect, and compassion underscore the humane nature of this decision, considering Tonya’s irreversible condition (Minicuci et al., 2020).

Hospital protocols for end-of-life care likely guided the decision-making process, ensuring consultation with ethical committees and involvement of surrogate decision-makers. By adhering to organizational guidelines, the medical team acts in alignment with the hospital’s commitment to patient-centered care and professional integrity (Luna-Meza et al., 2021).

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