Applying Ethical Principles

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Paper outline

1. Apply Ethical Principles

• Talk about ethical situations in healthcare

1. Overview of case study
   -breakdown of case study and my thoughts (case study below)
2. Analysis of Ethical Issues in the Case Study

• Analyze the factors that contributed to the ethical problem or issue identified in the case study.
• Describe the factors that contributed to the problem or issue and explain how they contributed.
• journal article relevant to the problem or issue that you can use to support your analysis of the situation. reference
  Duchsherer, Jason, M., Platt, C. A., & Majdik, Z. P. (2020). Immunized against science: Narrative community building among vaccine refusing/hesitant
  parents. Public Understanding of Science., 29(4), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963662520921537

1. Using the Ethical Decision-Making Model to Analyze the Case Study

• Identify which case study you selected and briefly summarize the facts surrounding it. Identify the problem or issue that presents an ethical dilemma or
  challenge and describe that dilemma or challenge.
• Identify who is involved or affected by the ethical problem or issue.
• Apply the three components outlined in the Ethical Decision-Making Model media. Ethical decision-making model = moral awareness, moral judgement, and
  ethical behavior
• Analyze the factors that contributed to the ethical problem or issue identified in the case study.
• Describe the factors that contributed to the problem or issue and explain how they contributed.

1. Effectiveness of Communication Approaches in the Case Study

• Describe how the health care professional in the case study communicated with others.
• Assess instances where the professional communicated effectively or ineffectively.
• Explain which communication approaches should be used and which ones should be avoided.
• Describe the consequences of using effective and non-effective communication approaches.

1. Resolving the Ethical Dilemma by Applying Ethical Principles

• Describe the proposed solution.
• Discuss how the approach makes this professional more effective or less effective in building relationships across disciplines within his or her
  organization.
• Discuss how likely it is the proposed solution will foster professional collaboration.

1. Conclusion

Case study
Jenna and Chris Smith are the proud parents of Ana, a 5–day–old baby girl born without complications at Community Hospital. Since delivery, the parents
have bonded well with Ana and express their desire to raise her as naturally as possible. For the Smiths, this means breastfeeding exclusively for the first six
months, making their own baby food using pureed organic foods, and not allowing Ana to be vaccinated.
The Smiths are college educated and explain they have researched vaccines and decided the potential harms caused by them far outweigh any benefits.
They point to the rise in autism rates as proof of the unforeseen risk of vaccines. Their new pediatrician, Dr. Angela Kerr, listens intently to the Smiths'
descriiption of their research, including online mommy–blogs that detail how vaccines may have caused autism in many children. The Smiths conclude by
resolutely stating they've decided not to vaccinate Ana, despite the recommendations of the medical community.
Dr. Kerr begins by stating that while vaccines have certainly sparked controversy in recent years, she strongly recommends that Ana become fully vaccinated.
Dr. Kerr explains that vaccines have saved the lives of millions of children worldwide and have been largely responsible for decreases in child mortality over
the past century. For example, the decreased incidence of infection with the potentially fatal Haemophilus influenzae type b, has resulted from routine
immunization against that bacterium. Similarly, epidemics such as the recent outbreak of measles are usually associated with individuals who have not been
vaccinated against that pathogen.
Dr. Kerr goes on to endorse the general safety of vaccines by informing Ana's parents that safety profiles of vaccines are updated regularly through data
sources such as the federal government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The VAERS, a nationwide vaccine safety surveillance program
sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is accessible to the public at
https://vaers.hhs.gov/index. This system allows transparency for vaccine safety by encouraging the public and healthcare providers to report adverse
reactions to vaccines and enables the federal government to monitor their safety. No vaccine has been proven casual for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or
any developmental disorder. On the contrary, many studies have shown that vaccines containing thimerosal, an ingredient once thought to cause autism, do
not increase the risk of ASD.
Finally, Dr. Kerr reminds the Smiths that some children in the general population have weakened immune systems because of genetic diseases or cancer
treatment, for example. It may not be medically feasible to vaccinate such children. Other children are too young to receive certain immunizations. Instead,
these children are protected because almost all other children (and adults) have been vaccinated and this decreases their exposure to vaccine–preventable
illnesses (VPIs). This epidemiological concept is known as “herd immunity.” As more parents refuse immunization for their healthy children, however, the rate
of VPIs will increase. This puts vulnerable children at significant risk of morbidity and mortality. Routine childhood immunization contributes significantly to
the health of the general public, both by providing a direct benefit to those who are vaccinated and by protecting others via herd immunity. Dr. Kerr concludes
by stating that after considering the risks versus the benefits of immunization, most states require vaccinations before children can attend school. Parents
may decide not to vaccinate under specific circumstances, however, which vary by state.
Jenna and Chris Smith confirm their understanding of what Dr. Kerr has explained, but restate that they do not want Ana vaccinated at this time. Dr. Kerr is
perplexed as to what to do.