Directions For This Journal Reflection You Will Do Th 060274
Directionsfor This Journal Reflection You Will Do The Followingdescr
Describe an example from your life of an ethical situation in which you had a strong moral intuition or feeling. Describe your decision-making process for that situation. What biases can you identify in that situation? Choose an ethical framework from the Module Guide. Explain the use of the ethical framework in your ethical situation. How would this ethical framework describe the main ethical issues in this situation? Which ethical principles would be most important to consider? Reflect on the experience of using an ethical framework. How was it different from your typical approach to an ethical dilemma? Note: Be mindful in deciding which information you choose to share about yourself. Your instructor is here to support you. However, be sure to choose an example that you would be comfortable with another person reading and responding to. What to Submit Submit your journal reflection as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. You must cite the ethical framework you choose for this assignment. Follow APA citation guidelines when citing sources both throughout and at the end of your paper.
Paper For Above instruction
Ethical decision-making is a fundamental aspect of personal and professional conduct, often informed by intuition, societal norms, and fundamental moral principles. Personal experiences frequently highlight the complexity of ethical dilemmas, especially when moral intuition is involved. This paper presents a reflective analysis of a personal ethical situation, the decision-making process involved, biases recognized, and the application of an ethical framework to better understand the ethical issues involved.
My most salient ethical dilemma occurred during my tenure volunteering at a healthcare facility, where I encountered a situation involving patient confidentiality versus the necessity to disclose critical health information. I recognized a strong moral intuition that maintaining patient confidentiality was paramount but also felt the weight of my responsibility to inform the attending physician about a patient's risky behavior, which could pose danger to themselves or others. The decision-making process involved weighing confidentiality against the potential harm of nondisclosure. I initially experienced bias in favor of confidentiality, influenced by my respect for patient privacy and the ethical obligation to protect sensitive information (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013).
The ethical framework I selected for analyzing this dilemma is Principlism, which is grounded in four core principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice (Beauchamp & Childress, 2013). Applying this framework clarified the main issues: respecting the patient’s autonomy while ensuring beneficence and nonmaleficence by preventing harm. For example, disclosure aligns with beneficence and nonmaleficence when nondisclosure could result in harm. Respecting autonomy requires careful consideration, especially when the patient's capacity for decision-making is compromised. This framework emphasizes that ethical decision-making should reconcile these principles to promote the patient’s well-being while respecting their rights (Gillon, 1995).
Using the Principlism framework helped me articulate the ethical tensions explicitly. It shifted my typical approach from an instinct-driven reaction to a more structured reflection based on universal principles. This approach facilitated a balanced analysis, allowing me to navigate conflicting duties systematically rather than relying solely on gut feelings. The experience underscored that ethical frameworks serve as valuable tools to clarify moral dilemmas, especially when personal biases are strong.
Reflecting on this experience, I found that employing an ethical framework provided clarity and objectivity, contrasting with my usual reliance on personal intuition and emotional responses. While intuition is valuable, especially in urgent situations, it can sometimes be clouded by biases or incomplete information. The framework encouraged me to consider all relevant principles equally and to justify my decision transparently. It also highlighted the importance of contextual factors and moral sensitivities that influence ethical judgment (Ulrich & Trice, 2017).
In conclusion, integrating an ethical framework like Principlism into personal decision-making enhances moral reasoning by providing a structured approach. It encourages deliberate reflection on core principles and helps manage biases, leading to more ethically consistent outcomes. This experience demonstrated that while ethical intuitions are important, they are most effective when complemented by established frameworks that promote fairness, respect, and beneficence in decision-making processes.
References
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