Moral Reasoning
The purpose of this essay is to provide an analysis of an ethical dilemma faced by the author in her personal life. To begin, a description of the dilemma is provided, followed by an ethical discovery based on the author’s application of her personal values within the context of the situation. A synopsis of the moral judgment is provided, and to conclude, four frames of ethics – justice, critique, care, and profession – are used to assess the decision made. Because of the personal quality of the writing, first-person is used throughout the piece.
Statement of Issue
My mother, who lives in Florida with my father, has not been feeling well for the past year and has been in and out of doctors’ offices due to weight loss, lack …show more content…
Once stable enough for the procedure, she is brought to the operating room where I, one of four siblings, wait for answers. My father, a dedicated husband and father, remains at home because he cannot bear to hear any additional bad news; sadly, he is becoming increasingly more depressed as time goes on. As I sit alone in the waiting room, the surgeon proceeds towards me with a sober, yet compassionate, look and states, “Your mother is in recovery right now, resting, and you will be able to see her soon. I am sorry to tell you this, but your mother has stage IV pancreatic cancer.” Feeling like I have been kicked in the stomach, I maintain my composure and ask, “What are our next …show more content…
A myriad of emotions consume me, as I gather information from physicians, my parents, and siblings. Waves of sadness, guilt, sympathy, and anger cause me to reflect, incessantly, on any decision or correspondence due to the sensitive nature at hand. As Johnson (2015) stated, “Emotions play an important role in moral motivation” (p.199). Balancing this moral motivation is difficult when considering two courses of action for my mother: remain in the hospital and entertain treatment options to extend her lifespan with artificial feeding or proceed with Hospice care, a palliative care approach focusing on quality of life with symptom control. In this section, I will discuss the course of action selected, values that are challenged, and potential implications of the
The purpose of this essay is to provide an analysis of an ethical dilemma faced by the author in her personal life. To begin, a description of the dilemma is provided, followed by an ethical discovery based on the author’s application of her personal values within the context of the situation. A synopsis of the moral judgment is provided, and to conclude, four frames of ethics – justice, critique, care, and profession – are used to assess the decision made. Because of the personal quality of the writing, first-person is used throughout the piece.
Statement of Issue
My mother, who lives in Florida with my father, has not been feeling well for the past year and has been in and out of doctors’ offices due to weight loss, lack …show more content…
Once stable enough for the procedure, she is brought to the operating room where I, one of four siblings, wait for answers. My father, a dedicated husband and father, remains at home because he cannot bear to hear any additional bad news; sadly, he is becoming increasingly more depressed as time goes on. As I sit alone in the waiting room, the surgeon proceeds towards me with a sober, yet compassionate, look and states, “Your mother is in recovery right now, resting, and you will be able to see her soon. I am sorry to tell you this, but your mother has stage IV pancreatic cancer.” Feeling like I have been kicked in the stomach, I maintain my composure and ask, “What are our next …show more content…
A myriad of emotions consume me, as I gather information from physicians, my parents, and siblings. Waves of sadness, guilt, sympathy, and anger cause me to reflect, incessantly, on any decision or correspondence due to the sensitive nature at hand. As Johnson (2015) stated, “Emotions play an important role in moral motivation” (p.199). Balancing this moral motivation is difficult when considering two courses of action for my mother: remain in the hospital and entertain treatment options to extend her lifespan with artificial feeding or proceed with Hospice care, a palliative care approach focusing on quality of life with symptom control. In this section, I will discuss the course of action selected, values that are challenged, and potential implications of the