Tonya's Case: Ethics and Professional Codes

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assignment criteria:

• Competency 2: Apply sound ethical thinking related to a health care issue.Demonstrate sound ethical thinking in applying ethical principles and moral theories to a specific case.
• Competency 3: Analyze ethical issues associated with patient care from the perspectives of various health care professionals.Explain professional codes of ethics and apply them in to a specific case.
• Competency 4: Explain the conceptual framework that health care leaders use to make ethical decisions.Explain organizational documents like mission and value statements and use them to analyze a case study.
• Explain the role of accrediting bodies and applies this understanding in analyzing a case study.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with health care professionals. 
• Provides validation and support within written communications by including relevant examples and supporting evidence using APA citations.
• Produce writing with minimal errors in grammar, usage, spelling, and mechanics.

For this assignment you will apply some skills concepts we've learned in the course, particularly those relating to the basic principles of health care ethics, professional codes of ethics and values of health care institutions.

Consider the following case study scenario:

Case

Tonya Archer is a fifteen year-old patient admitted to the hospital early last week to have some fairly routine surgery performed. Post-surgical complications resulted in cardiac arrest, and then loss of blood circulation caused whole brain death. However, a ventilator and intubation are sustaining her body's life functions, including all other vital organs. The doctors have determined that the damage is permanent and that Tonya has no chance of regaining consciousness. Therefore, they want to take her off life support. However, Tonya's parents are adamant she remain on life support. They point out that her heart is beating, and they insist that their daughter is still very much alive.

Write a paper that answers the following questions:

• What are the most relevant end-of-life issues in health care ethics as they relate to this case?
• What should the hospital do? Should doctors simply keep Tonya on life support, as the parents want? Or, since all medical evidence indicates that Tonya's brain is permanent, should life support be removed?

Support your answer with the following considerations in mind:

• Explain which principles of health care ethics and which moral theory are the best philosophical foundations for your view.
• Is your view supported by your professional code of ethics? If so, explain how. If not, explain what your code gets wrong about a case like this.
• Is your view consistent with the mission statement and values of the hospital you discussed in Unit 1? Why or why not?
• Would an accrediting body, like the Joint Commission, support your choice? Why or why not?

Submission Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
• Length: 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.