Ethical Dilemma Resolution
Develop, in detail, a situation in which a health care worker might be confronted with ethical problems related to patients and prescription drug use OR patients in a state of poverty.
Sarah is a nurse practitioner working in a community health clinic in a low-income neighborhood. One day, she sees Mrs. Johnson, a 65-year-old patient who has been managing chronic pain from arthritis for several years. Mrs. Johnson lives alone, relies on a fixed income from social security, and struggles to afford her basic living expenses. She recently confides in Sarah that she has been experiencing increasing pain and difficulty performing daily activities.
During the assessment, Sarah realizes that Mrs. Johnson’s current pain management regimen, which includes a prescription for opioid painkillers, is no longer providing adequate relief. Sarah knows that escalating the dosage or switching to stronger medications could potentially alleviate Mrs. Johnson’s pain but also increase the risk of dependence and other adverse effects.
Ethical Issues:
- Balancing Pain Management and Risk of Addiction:
- Sarah faces the ethical dilemma of balancing Mrs. Johnson’s need for effective pain…
Sarah is a nurse practitioner working in a community health clinic in a low-income neighborhood. One day, she sees Mrs. Johnson, a 65-year-old patient who has been managing chronic pain from arthritis for several years. Mrs. Johnson lives alone, relies on a fixed income from social security, and struggles to afford her basic living expenses. She recently confides in Sarah that she has been experiencing increasing pain and difficulty performing daily activities.
During the assessment, Sarah realizes that Mrs. Johnson’s current pain management regimen, which includes a prescription for opioid painkillers, is no longer providing adequate relief. Sarah knows that escalating the dosage or switching to stronger medications could potentially alleviate Mrs. Johnson’s pain but also increase the risk of dependence and other adverse effects. (Ethical Dilemma Resolution)
Ethical Issues:
- Balancing Pain Management and Risk of Addiction:
- Sarah faces the ethical dilemma of balancing Mrs. Johnson’s need for effective pain…
