Question

In the United States, access to health care usually depends on a client's ability to pay for health care, either through insurance or by paying cash. The client the nurse is caring for needs a liver transplant to survive. This client has been out of work for several months and does not have insurance or enough cash. A discussion about the ethics of this situation would involve predominantly the principle of:

A. Accountability, because you as the nurse are accountable for the well being of this client
B. Respect of autonomy, because this client's autonomy will be violated if he does not receive the liver transplant
C. Ethics of care, because the caring thing that a nurse could provide this patient is resources for a liver transplant
D. Justice, because the first and greatest question in this situation is how to determine the just distribution of resources

Answer 1

Justice is the ethical principle most relevant to the situation where a patient needs but cannot afford a liver transplant. This principle addresses the fair distribution of healthcare resources, underlying the ethical dilemma faced by the healthcare provider in advocating for the patient's right to life and equitable treatment.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the situation where a client needs a liver transplant but cannot afford it due to a lack of insurance and funds, the ethical principle most predominantly involved is justice. This principle concerns the fair distribution of resources, in this case, healthcare. The nurse must consider this principle when advocating for the patient's needs, especially in a system where access to healthcare is largely tied to one's financial status. Discussing and addressing the ethical issues involves considering the patient's right to life and the equitable allocation of medical resources and treatments.

Care ethics might encourage understanding all perspectives in such conflicts, promoting compassion and responsibility. However, when approaching this situation from a utilitarian perspective, the concept of the greatest good for the greatest number could mean weighing the outcomes of the patient's survival against resource allocation to others. Nonetheless, the crux of this ethical dilemma emphasizes the need for justice in healthcare - ensuring that life-saving treatments like organ transplants are fairly accessible to all, regardless of economic status.