Ethics Ignored for Henrietta Lacks In the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Henrietta was the victim of abuse from the health care delivery system. Her story is remarkable, but as a social worker reading her story there were many read flags involving unethical care to the client. The most disturbing part of the book was reading the consent provided on page 31 of chapter three. When Henrietta presented to John Hopkins Hospital to be treated for her cervical cancer she was given this consent:
“I herby give consent to the staff of The John Hopkins Hospital to perform any operative procedures and under any anesthetic either local or general that they may deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment of: ____” (Skloot, 2010). …show more content…
Competency three addresses the issues of human rights, social, economic, and environment justice to all persons (CSWE, 2015). This competency assures that all persons are provided with freedom, safety, privacy, and adequate standard of living, health, and education no matter the individual’s societal position (CSWE, 2015). As a social worker, you must understand the relationship oppression has with human right violations and do your best work to promote social justice for all groups. Social workers should work to break structural barriers that limit economic, social, and cultural justice. This was clearly not done for Henrietta or at all during the time of her care. Laws did not support justice but instead promoted oppression and social disparities. Henrietta deserved a social worker advocating for her rights as a human being. She deserved someone to treat her just as well as someone would be treated on an all “white ward.” The color of her skin affected her quality of treatment and further enabled the structural forces that kept her oppressed. In today’s world, a social worker would be working to make sure that the color of her skin, her gender, her socioeconomic status, and her education level were not factors that contributed to her quality of care. Social workers must be the change in the health care system assuring that all human beings are receiving proper care as well as dignity and respect along the
“I herby give consent to the staff of The John Hopkins Hospital to perform any operative procedures and under any anesthetic either local or general that they may deem necessary in the proper surgical care and treatment of: ____” (Skloot, 2010). …show more content…
Competency three addresses the issues of human rights, social, economic, and environment justice to all persons (CSWE, 2015). This competency assures that all persons are provided with freedom, safety, privacy, and adequate standard of living, health, and education no matter the individual’s societal position (CSWE, 2015). As a social worker, you must understand the relationship oppression has with human right violations and do your best work to promote social justice for all groups. Social workers should work to break structural barriers that limit economic, social, and cultural justice. This was clearly not done for Henrietta or at all during the time of her care. Laws did not support justice but instead promoted oppression and social disparities. Henrietta deserved a social worker advocating for her rights as a human being. She deserved someone to treat her just as well as someone would be treated on an all “white ward.” The color of her skin affected her quality of treatment and further enabled the structural forces that kept her oppressed. In today’s world, a social worker would be working to make sure that the color of her skin, her gender, her socioeconomic status, and her education level were not factors that contributed to her quality of care. Social workers must be the change in the health care system assuring that all human beings are receiving proper care as well as dignity and respect along the