BioEthical Dilemna: to whom will you give the organ?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

We are happy to help with homework but, once again, we will not do it for you. What are your thoughts? Nurses encounter these dilemmas all the time. This ethical dilemma, however, is pretty regulated in the USA......technically. What experiences have you had that influence your answer? These questions have no REAL right or wrong, their purpose is to get you thinking about your personal feelings and thoughts. To analyze why you feel that way.

chocoberry · Jul 7, 2012

I dont know if it fits Kant's principle. It must be given to the president of the country since he leads the majority. If I choose the uncle, that is only for personal interest. If it's the poor girl, she cant avail paying the expenses. If the medical student, his service is not as in majority to that of the president of the country who leads the majority of the people . Therefore, it must be given the president of the country. What do you think?

Mukfay · Jul 7, 2012

I think it depends on who the president is at the time (I'm kidding. I'm kidding!) Actually, I think what the instructor wants is a demonstration of your knowledge of various ethical principles. Check with your instructor on what he/she wants, but I don't think a "wrong" decision on your part would affect your grade because the instructor is probably looking for you to back it up with course material. I would consider each from the standpoint of each ethical principle, and then make a decision based on one of them. Floor nurses rarely have to make ethical decisions in a vacuum. The charge nurse and ethics committee (and attorneys) get involved in the complex and difficult cases. So have fun showing off all that you've learned in your ethics class, and let us know how it goes.

Regards,

Mukfay

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

i agree with mukay........it's about applying the principles of you ethics class. personally? i again agree with mukay....it depends on the president...... :smokin: . the sickest most critical patient that is the best match gets the transplant after cleared by the team as having the best odds of survival regardless of who they may be, although we all know that if you have the money your odds of receiving better medical care are greater....even here in the us.

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

[h=2]BioEthical Dilemna: To whom will you give the organ?[/h]As a health care professional, if you are confined in this situation, that you are to choose to whom will you give the organ, to whom will you give it?
is it to the president of the country?
to a medical summa cumlaude medical student?
to your uncle who sponsored your schooling?
to a poor girl?
Grrr

I might start with the one least likely to reject it...

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 7, 2012

I do not have nearly enough information to make this decision. Who is the best match? How long have all these people been waiting for an organ? Who has the best chance of a good outcome? Have these people been judged to be good candidates to receive a transplanted organ? Are they able to comply with the follow-up care?

If the President of the US has multiple co-morbidities and a history of non-compliance with his medical care, he's not getting it over any one of them. I don't care how many people he's responsible for. There are others who can take over his role in his absence.

Katie71275 · Jul 8, 2012

Exactly what Kel said!

There's a pretty good process with deciding where organs go so one would hope this wouldn't come up too often. They should have made it fun and added an a recovering alchoholic with cirrhosis of the liver.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jul 10, 2012

Hypothetical questions do not really teach a concept if they are so far from reality. Reality is, the nurse will not make that decision. Would be better to assign a scenario based on reality so you can learn to think vs learn to to recite theory. Just my thoughts of course. Look at your basic concepts in ethical decisions, like autonomy and maleficense. Cross out the ones that do not apply to each person. The person left with the most positive concepts wins the organ. Hope they use it for good and not evil (tsk)

decembergrad2011, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2012

A better ethical dilemma for organ transplantation would have been regarding liver transplant on a known alcoholic who is a perfect match, or an athlete who is not a perfect but an acceptable match. That would have been much more realistic with plenty to talk about.

I agree that unrealistic scenarios do not do students any favors.