The medical community has reached a very important nexus in terms of providing care to the injured and infirm that find themselves in a hospital environment. The so-called Healing Hospital represents a radical shift from the traditional view of the role and function of a hospital or clinic in making an individual well. A contemporary hospital, when admitting a patient, will focus will laser intensity on what is “wrong” with them. That is to say, the entirety of their treatment is aimed at eradicating that which is ailing them. This is model that has served the medical community since the advent of modern health care. There a recent school of thought, however, that argues that it is no longer sufficient to simply treat a disease or injury. The so-named Healing Hospital Paradigm posits that true medicine ought to focus beyond the ailment and adopt a more “holistic” approach to making a person well.…
The Author Atul Gawande is a surgeon, staff writer for The New Yorker and a professor at the Harvard Medical School. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End was an inspiring book that unwrap people’s mind for discussion and question our current practice of medicine and care. It is easy for audiences of all ages to relate to this book even if the young do not think about the process of death. It has a comprehensive coverage of medical sociology, where it deliberates on the evolution, controversial conversation of medicine and issues after medicine becomes impotent to people’s health. Gawande uses recounts of people (patients) and his own reflections on the stories to illustrate the dilemmas of the two facet of medicine: to attempt…
These two passions sustained him but sadly neither can now bring him any joy. Although he is physically immobile, Ken’s mind is active, and perhaps this is more detrimental to his mental wellbeing than a broken body. Opinionated, articulate and intelligent he has resolved that for him “life is over” (Page 55) because he “can’t do things (he) wants to do”. On this basis he demands to be released from the hospital in which he resides and asks that his treatment cease. In contrast to Ken’s beliefs and demands, stands Doctor Michael Emerson, the hospital’s consultant physician. Clark uses him as a comparison to the two moral ideals. Unlike Ken who wants to end his life, Dr Emerson believes in the sanctity of life and, that even in the most tragic situations, people can “come to accept” (Page 12) their condition and live a fulfilling life. Although noble, I side with Ken’s belief in the value of the quality of one’s life. I do not believe that life is worth living if a person is unable to find satisfaction or peace within it. Sadly, it is Doctor Emerson’s arrogance regarding this issue which challenges my respect for him. When he abuses his position by not only forcibly injecting Ken against his will with Valium, but then declares Ken mentally incompetent and irrational, I am appalled. By disrespecting Ken’s wishes, he has lost my…
A doctor is perceived by the public to be an ethical individual who is be able to heal and care for those in need, but in his short story “The Use of Force,” William Carlos Williams depicts a doctor who is called to the Olson home to diagnose his patient with unethical methods. His patient, a girl named Mathilda, is suspected to have diphtheria; however, because of Mathilda’s lack of cooperation, the doctor has no other option to examine but to use force. Through his use of force, the doctor accomplished his goal of diagnosing Mathilda and perhaps saving her life, while his methods of obtaining that goal raise a question about his ethic of using force.…
“What is a life worth? And what is a life worth living?” are two central focuses that have caused controversy within the medical community. This powerful novel, “First, Do No Harm” by Lisa Belkin, addresses these disputable questions as it places a significant emphasis on the ethical dilemmas in healthcare. By presenting the stories of Patrick, a fatally ill fifteen year old; Jake and Taylor, babies born prematurely; Armando, a quadriplegic; and Landon, Belkin allows readers to catch a glimpse of the procedures hospitals unfortunately face on a daily basis. These real-life dramatizations take place from May to October, 1988 in the Hermann Hospital Medical Center, a major metropolitan hospital in Texas. The novel not only accents the hardships…
David Goldhill, author of “How American Healthcare Killed My Father” describes himself as a businessman with no more expertise or connection with the United States healthcare system than any other patient with ordinary encounters. This is until his father entered a non-profit hospital in New York City with pneumonia. The end result of this hospital visit, which is not entirely uncommon for an elderly person, is an unexpected death and a son’s personal exploration of why it happened and what could be done to prevent this incident in the future. According to the Goldhill, his father entered the hospital and acquired sepsis within thirty-six hours of admission. Over the course of the next five weeks, which were spent in the hospital’s intensive care unit, the infections acquired were more than the his father could fight and quickly led to his inexcusable demise.…
Walking down the corridors I again ask myself why life is so cruel towards some. A man, no younger nor older than myself trapped, hospitalised for the final months of his life. He had his whole life ahead of him, a budding football star and small-town musician with a loveable personality and smiling eyes. Whilst talking with many of the town’s residents eagerly awaiting updates on his condition, they began with anecdotal experiences they had of Jacob. A member of his football team quoted “You can only fail as many times as you do not attempt.” I stopped dead in my tracks before turning and sprinting back towards the hospital room. Ignoring the incredulous looks from those around me I barge into his room and repeat the inspirational words I had heard not five minutes previously. “What the hell are you on?”…
George Orwell’s “How the Poor Die” is a brief anecdotal essay about his time at a French public hospital, referred to as Hopital X. Orwell gives a brief account of the various pseudo-scientific ‘treatments’ that he and his fellow patients were forced to endure. He compares some of the hospital’s practices, such as the rough bathing required for all new patients, to those of a prison or workhouse. Throughout his essay, Orwell reflects on the history of medicine, medicinal practices and the beliefs that surrounded hospitals.…
“If it were not for that cold, calculating, yet utterly necessary allocation of 1s, 2s, and 3s, how many more lives would have been lost?” The author uses this descriptive sentence to underline the central theme of the book; when we want to make the world a better place, we must make choices concerning what the best use of our resources, time and money are. The story about Orbinski and his days in the medical profession set up a great visualization and bring a great parallel to the main questions of the book. However, the harsh reality that is brought forward within these questions and the points that MacAskill brings up are almost heartbreaking. For example, MacAskill points out that “as a result of your choices, someone is made better off…
Those who value the sanctity of life would argue that every human life is sacred, which creates a moral obligation to prolong life through artificial administration of food and water. If Dr. R. were to carry out Roberta’s wishes to be admitted to the hospital, this would go against the values he places on both the sanctity of life as well as the goals of medicine.…
The nursing profession is at times challenging to the extent that one may be forced to compromise his or her beliefs and professional principles. Such situations may include environmental pressure, societal rules, or even cultural disconnect. At times anxiety or even loss of confidence may hinder one’s ability to function effectively (Bodin, 2012). One instance is when other nurses and I had to handle an emergency case. A middle-aged man was rushed in. After a10 minute observation, there was a conclusion that surgery was necessary to help the patient. The patient had an arm injury after an accident. After consulting with the doctor in charge, we had to rush him in to begin the surgery process. After five minutes, the man’s wife arrived accompanied…
Furthermore, it is argued, we ourselves have an obligation to relieve the suffering of our fellow human beings and to respect their dignity. Lying in our hospitals today are people afflicted with excruciatingly painful and terminal conditions and diseases that have left them permanently incapable of functioning in any dignified human fashion. They can only look…
| “A nurse does not only seek to alleviate physical pain or render physical care – she ministers to the whole person. The existence of the suffering whether physical, mental or…
By using the scenario of a doctor treating a patient who really does not want to be treated, the author examines the ethical use of force that can be argued is necessary at times. However it also looks at the impact of that force not only on the person that it is used against, but also on the persno using it. This is shown primarily through the character of the doctor. Thanks to the first person perspective that Williams chooses to use, we are able to see his gradual transformation from a character who is professional and rational to a character who takes immense pleasure in the way that he is able to force his patient to physically yield to him.…
Stephen Covey’s Sacramento incident with the helpless nurse who had the misfortune of working with an unthankful,…