Ethical Dilemmas In Health Care

In modern day, health care professionals are often faced with medical decisions that affect clients seeking treatment. They are faced with situations on whether to continue care, determining the direction of care, and even deciding whom they should treat. Often, these decisions present an ethical dilemma. According to McConnell (2014), the features of a moral dilemma consist of a situation where the

$$$$agent is required to do each of two (or more) actions; the agent can do each of the actions; but the agent cannot do both (or all) of the actions. The agent thus seems condemned to moral failure; no matter what she does, she will do something wrong (or fail to do something that she ought to do). ( McConnell, 2014, line 27-30 )

Thomas Wells was serving a sentence for murder in state prison when he managed to escape. He was attempting to rob a bank, but instead found himself in a brawl with law enforcement, which injured his right arm and caused nerve damage. Thomas Wells was re-institutionalized after he received emergency care and is now seeking rehabilitative care in the locked unit at the hospital. He wants to regain function of his arm.

Sharon Gomez is an occupational therapist that was assigned to the unit, receives the referral, and determines that Mr. Wells needs occupational therapy services and that she
In ethical decision making, people who may be affected by decisions are called stakeholders. In this situation, there are primary, secondary and tertiary stakeholders. Primary stakeholder who are directly involved in the situation include Sharon, Mr. Wells and Nancy. Secondary stakeholders not directly involved in the situation but have responsibilities to the stakeholders which include clients, law enforcement, and staff within the Large Urban Hospital Trauma Center. The tertiary stakeholder is the general