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A patient is injured but refuses to be transported by ambulance. He is competent to make​ decisions, and you have exhausted all avenues to convince the patient to be transported. You still feel that he should go. This situation can be referred to​ as:

A.
an ethical and moral conflict.
B.
an emergency for local law enforcement.
C.
not being able to establish a duty to act.
D.
a conflict of interest.

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

The situation is an ethical and moral conflict where a medical professional faces a patient refusing transport despite the professional's belief they should go to a hospital.

Step-by-step explanation:

The situation described where a patient refuses transport by ambulance yet the medical professional believes they should go can be considered as A. an ethical and moral conflict. This scenario is typical in the field of medicine, where ethical dilemmas arise, and health-care professionals must navigate between the patient's autonomy and the professional's duty to care.

Scenario Examples

  • For the trolley problem, flipping the switch to save five people at the expense of one is often considered morally permissible due to the principle of the greater good.
  • In the case of the drowning child, it is morally obligatory for a passerby to intervene and save the child, as the harm of ruined pants is negligible compared to the value of a child's life.
  • Regarding the critical care patients and the healthy individual in the waiting room, taking the organs of the healthy person without consent is morally forbidden, as it violates the right to life and bodily autonomy of that person.

In bioethics, such difficult decisions require careful consideration of ethical principles like autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. The role of the healthcare professional is not to enforce treatment but to provide information, respect the patient's autonomy, and act in the patient's best interests when possible. Understanding and applying care ethics can help navigate these complex situations, focusing on values of compassion and empathy alongside traditional ethical frameworks.

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