Ethical Theories Worksheet

Ethical Theories Worksheet Part One Propose a solution to the following scenario using each of the five ethical theories presented in this module. Explain how your solution aligns with the major ideas within each theory. Scenario: There is a pandemic of a contagious disease. In the United States, there is only enough of the vaccine to cover 70% of the population. How do you determine who gets the vaccine? Theory Solution a. Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is “the guiding principles of the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is concerned with the impact of actions and final outcomes. It is the rightness or wrongness of an act determined by its consequences” (Fregman, 2020 p 9). According to the scenario the vaccine recipients are determined based on health conditions from lifethreatening disease, immune deficiencies or older people. This group would not be considered to receive a vaccine until the population that is considered to have a better chance of survival and life expectancy. The population that would benefit from the vaccine would be given to healthy children, physicians, nurses, and presidents. b. Rights-based ethics Rights-based ethics “places the primary emphasis on a person's individual rights” (Fregman, 2020, p10). A solution to this scenario would be to offer to anyone regardless of race, gender and social status. This would be done by a first come first serve basis for anyone who wants to receive the vaccine until all available are gone. c. Duty-based ethics Duty-based ethics “focuses on performing one’s duty to various people and institutions such as parents, employers, employees and customers” (Fregman, 2020 p 10). A solution would be that all health care workers and essential people would be able to have access to the vaccine first before the rest of the population. d. Justice-based ethics Justice-based ethics is “based on an important moral restraint called the veil of ignorance where the decisions makers would be Congress or medical experts to be impartial in their decisions” (Fregman, 2020 p 11). A solution to this for the vaccine would be to give the vaccine out at random by using people's social security number until it has reached 70% because it would be impartial, and the population would have an equal chance to receive it. IT would be more of a lottery on who gets picked. e. Virtue-based ethics Virtue-based ethics is “on persons and not necessarily on the decisions or principles that are involved”(Fregman, 2020 p 11). A solution would be to give the vaccine to people who have won special achievements based on their actions. I personally do not see how this would help in a pandemic because it would divide the population between achievements and no achievements and cause more of a problem that could result in riots and destruction. Part Two Consider the same scenario, but explain what process you would need to add to your solution to protect the bioethics principles. Principle Solution a. Autonomy The principle of autonomy “means that people have the right to make decisions about their own life” (Fregman, 2020 p21). The vaccine should be an option to allow people to decide if they want to receive the vaccine or not as it is their body. No one should be forced or penalized for receiving or not receiving the vaccine. b. Beneficence The principle of beneficence “means that we must not harm patients while we are trying to help them” (Fregman, 2020 p 21). Using the beneficence principal for the vaccine providers should not interfere with a patient's decision on receiving or not receiving the vaccine. It is essential for providers to make sure patients understand the benefits and risk of the vaccine to them and others around. Providers should also make sure it is in the patient's best interest and not just say yes to get it. c. Non-malfeasance The principle of non-malfeasance “means first do no harm, where medical professionals are asked to not only do good for the patient, but also to do no harm in the process” (Fregman, 2020 p 21). Using this principle, the provider should treat the patient with up most care and make the patient feel comfortable as possible. In relation to a vaccine would be when the provider is administering the vaccine to patient to prevent any damage, pain or harm when receiving the shot. To ease the patient would be to explain what you are going to do ahead of time and ask if they have any question. d. Justice The principle of justice “means that equals must be treated equally, and the same treatment must be given to all patients whether they are rich, poor, educated, disabled, or uneducated” (Fregman, 2020 p21). Using this principle for the vaccine there should be no bias towards anyone even if the person giving the vaccine does not agree with receiving one you still treat the patient equally and accept their decisions.