Autonomy Case

She was also prescribed antidepressants, a tranquilizer, and an opioid to take daily for several years. Geerts was so desperate after struggling with her illness that she asked her psychiatrist to take her life. In 2014, her doctor prescribed her a lethal dose of drugs to take. Geert’s sister, Adriana, expressed that she thinks society should try harder to help people who suffer with mental illness. Cheng exhibits this euthanasia case to demonstrate how difficult it can be to balance between individual freedom and protecting patients that are vulnerable. I will use this text and include Geert’s case to show that there should be a more efficient way to deal with patients that suffer with depression other than

In his article “Whose Body Is It, Anyway?”—appearing in the New Yorker in October 1994—Dr. Atul Gawande highlights the complexities of the doctor-patient relationship vis-à-vis patient autonomy and decision-making. Dr. Gawande explains that a respect for patient autonomy (i.e., allowing patients to choose between courses of treatment, therefore directly influencing their health outcome) is the “new normal” for medical practitioners. However, Gawande also contends that there are times when patients are better served by a voluntary relinquishment of that autonomy.

Autonomy includes three primary conditions: (1) liberty (independence from controlling influences), (2) agency (capacity for intentional action), and (3) understanding (through informed consent) (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009, p. 100). According to Beauchamp & Childress (2009) to respect autonomous agents, one must acknowledge their right to hold views, to make choices, and to take actions based on their personal values and beliefs (p. 103). Respect for autonomy implies thaturges caregivers to respect theassist a patient in achieving? Heed? the autonomous choices of their patients. From there, patients can act intentionally and with full understanding when evaluating medical treatment modalities. Autonomy also includes a set of rules, one of which requires that providers honor patient decision-making rights by providing the truth, also known as veracity (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009, p. 103). In this case, several facets of the principle of respecting autonomy, specifically veracity, informed

To begin with the person is the centre of the plan, to be consulted with and their views must always come first: It should include all aspects of their care, and every professional should work together to provide it. (Leathard 2000) Autonomy refers to an individuals’ ability to come to his or her own decisions and requires nurses to respect the choices patients make concerning their own lives (Hendrick 2000).However Gillon Argues that the principle respect for autonomy may need some restriction, otherwise we may be morally obliged to respect an autonomous course of action with unthinkable consequences.( Gillon 1986) Every human being has an intrinsic value, they all have a right to well being, to self-fulfilment and to as much control over their own lives as is consistent with others (British Association of Social Workers 2002).Professional Judgement and patient preference cannot be suspended if practice is to be safe and effective rather than routine(DOH 2005) Alex had to attend this session as it was within his Timetable, how could it have been effective?, he was unhappy and

The issues of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) are both emotional and controversial. Some argue PAS is ethically permissible for a dying person who has chosen to escape unbearable suffering at the end of life; it is the physician’s duty to alleviate the patient’s suffering and justifies aid-in-dying. These arguments rely on the respect for individual autonomy. “Individual autonomy is an idea that is generally understood to refer to the capacity to be one's own person, to live one's life according to reasons and motives that are taken as one's own and not the product of manipulative or distorting external forces.” (STANDFORD REF)

It is a basic principle of law in this country that an adult, mentally competent person has the right to refuse treatment. The court of appeal has emphasised that provided the patient has the necessary mental capacity, which is assessed in relation to the decision to be made, then he or she can refuse to give consent for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all (Dimond, 2008). However, in this case it is in the best interest of the patient that the MDT administrated medication covertly. The legal issue identified in this case relates to the issue of consent. Within the case study professionalism had to challenged when it came to the capacity of the patient. The MDT had to resolve the legal issues associated with capacity and consent.

Patient autonomy is often the focus of the death with dignity debate. The rights of the patient should be respected. Losing control is a fear held by many patients suffering from either degenerative or terminal illness. Some hold the position that life is unexpected, and fate is out of human control. Though nature is unpredictable and "deadly tornadoes and hurricanes are painful reminders" of that loss of control (Friend, 2011, p. 114), the same does not have to be true for those with illnesses. This fear is often shown through the dependency on others. Without the law, it is very common for patients to take their own life in order to gain a sense of control. Justice Lynn Smith of Canada indicated that, according to the case of a woman seeking the right to assisted suicide, "[the plaintiff 's] decreased lifespan would occur if she concludes the she needs to take her own

Ever since we are born we have someone looking over us, someone guiding us, someone telling us what to do. This concept carries into our culture and interweaves itself into every aspect of our lives. Our first steps out into the world on our own, away from our parents, is to go to school. Here we are governed primarily by our teachers, but also by the school administrators. When it comes time to complete our educations and embark, finally, into the real world to be by ourselves, to make our own decisions we are met with are rude awakening. Out here we are faced with the simple reality that we will never be free from someone looking over us. Our government watches us through the eyes of the local law enforcement. Our bosses watch us through our shift managers. Our landlords watch us through routine inspections. It seems we can never escape or truly be

Autonomy explores the idea of every person having rights in regards to healthcare and decision making. “Autonomy is an agreement to respect another’s right to self-determine a course of action and support independent decision making” (Beauchamp & Childress, 2009). In 1990, the ideas of autonomy lead to the Patient Self Determination Act which allows competent people to make their wishes known about end of life. The act includes living wills and health care power of attorneys, which deals with end of

Nursing is an all encompassing profession in which practitioners are not only proficient in technical medical functionality, they also have the obligation to remain compassionate and respectful of patients and as such are expected to adhere to pre established codes of ethics. Of these ethics, autonomy is of extreme importance as it offers patients a sense of personal authority during a time where they may feel as if their lives, or at the very least their health, is no longer under their control. Autonomy in the context of nursing allocates the patient and often their family with the final word on the course of treatment. The concept of patient autonomy is a highly variable subject in all fields of health care. It is a universal concept that varies widely in its meaning and interpretation. Autonomy in its simplest form can be defined as a state of independence or self governing (Atkins, 2006). Patient autonomy can also be defined as the ability to make once own decisions, based on one’s sound judgment. It is defined by the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2011) as the "agreement to respect another 's right to self determine a course of action; support of independent decision making." This seemingly straight forward ethical concept is rife with difficulties when one considers potential disagreements that may arise even when informed consent is provided, particularly among children or vulnerable people. Relevant research and

Although a patient’s choice of suicide symbolizes an expression of self-determination, there is a great distinction between denying life-sustaining treatments and demanding life-ending treatments. The right to self-determination is a right to allow or reject offered treatments, not to choose what should be offered. The right to refuse life-sustaining interventions does not correlate with a right to force others to hasten their death. The inability of physicians to inhibit death does not mean that physicians are allowed to help induce death.

Persons who are employed in medical careers, like nursing, must display autonomous behavior because it provides motivation for them to make decisions without requiring permission from somebody (Senturan et al., 2012). On the other hand, those who display low levels of autonomous behavior will often become submissive towards others and may show signs of obedience when it comes to decision making and protecting their personal independence. These people may be coerced into performing actions or behaviors that they would not normally do such as a person who is an accomplice to a criminal act. I display high levels of autonomous behavior due to the fact that I usually set goals for myself that require no help from others and after these goals are complete, my sense of well-being has increased tremendously.

The issue concerning the patient, Jimmy relates to the idea of autonomy and beneficence. Autonomy means that all individuals are given the ability to make their own choices and to develop their own lives (Morrison & Furlong, 2013). Although, according to US law it is required to have informed consent before any invasive procedures. It is also important to know that there are a few exceptions. The term beneficence means “to do well.” It is the practice of doing the right and beneficial thing (Morrison & Furlong, 2013). Although Jimmy was unconscious, it was discussed amongst other physicians to amputate his arm due to any further health issues.

As in the movie “A Beautiful Mind” one ethical dilemma is when Nash’s wife, Alicia, is called upon the psychiatric hospital. She is faced with two choices, both fraught with beneficence, the chance of doing good or harm, to herself, John, and their child. She can commit her husband to the hospital and get him to receive the insulin shock treatments or she can honor his wish to stay at home with all of his paranoid schizophrenic illness. Her husband offers her idea that what he really needs is mental help. She chooses to try the” management” form of treatment and keeps him home. John did not show autonomy “self-determination”, he have no say as to whether or not he would return to the mental intuition. His wife held all of the power. He could take the medicine that was being prescribed to him and be mentally restricted or unable to care for his wife and child. The morally right choice was to take the medication, but he was finding barriers too much.

There are four commonly accepted principles of bioethics. The first is the principle of respect for autonomy. Respect for autonomy is a respect for the client to make informed and intentional decisions, provided that the client is judged to be capable of doing so. This principle is the base for the practice of informed consent as well as the right to accept or refuse treatment. The client is to be able to make a rational, informed decision, without any external factors influencing any decisions. This principle may cause what the health care professional perceives to be harm, but to the client, like a muslim client refusing to have a xenotransplantation from a pig, accepting the treatment would cause him to suffer