Health Care Ethics – Am I Dying

Abstract

One of the most complex ethical dilemmas faced by health care professionals working with terminally ill patients is whether, when, how and how much to tell terminal ill patients about their diagnosis and prognosis of disease. Deception is still sometimes used by health care professionals while treating terminally ill patients (Tuckett, 1998). Truth telling to terminally ill patients is a common ethical dilemma that nurses have to deal with on a daily basis when families are reluctant to disclose the poor diagnosis with patients. However, by abiding by certain principles and ethics, the nurses can make the best decision. The purpose of this paper is to review, analyze and evaluate the case scenario in light of four principles of Beauchamp and Childress (2001) namely autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.

Keywords

• ethical dilemma
• truth telling
• health care professionals
• principles of beauchamp and childress
• end of life care