Nursing Ethics: Mr. V
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A 10 page paper discussing a case of ethics of choice. Mr. V is terminally and wishes to give up his struggle. He is on a morphine drip, and the nurse on duty has instruction to decrease the drip should his respirations drop to four per minute. Mr. V maintains that he was resuscitated against his wishes; the nurse claims she merely followed instructions. The paper discusses the ethics of the case in terms of the philosophy of Kant and Mill. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: KSnursEthMrV.rtf

Nursing Ethics: Confidentiality
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A 6 page paper discussing an ethical dilemma faced by nurses in an emergency department. A man has made another appearance there because he failed to take his anticonvulsive medication and had a seizure at a movie theatre. The ethical dilemma is that the nurses know that the man drives regularly and that he experiences seizures with some regularity. The paper uses the principles of utilitarianism (Kant, Mill and Rawls) and nurses’ code of ethics regarding self-determination and confidentiality to conclude that the nurses must maintain confidentiality. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Filename: KSnursEthSeiz.rtf

Nursing Ethics: Ending Life Support
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A 16 page paper that explores the issue of withdrawing life support interventions. This becomes a particularly difficult and controversial topic when the patient does not have a living will or advanced directive on file. This essay discusses the role of the nurse in this situation and the ethics involved. The writer proposes that this is an ethical and moral decision and act under specific conditions. Bibliography lists 12 sources.
Filename: PGendlif.wps

Organ Trafficking: Utilitarian, Consequentialist, Kantian and Virtue Ethics Perspectives
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This is a 5 page paper discussing ethical perspectives of why people should not continue with the practice of organ trafficking. The growing need for kidney transplants worldwide has led to an increase in international criminals organizations dealing in organ trafficking. Within the European market, these organizations are “pressuring poor Eastern Europeans into selling their organs” in order to “provide food and shelter for their families”. Unfortunately, there have been reports of dire consequences for the donors whose “state of health generally deteriorates due to a lack of any kind of medical follow-up, [as well as] hard physical work and unhealthy lifestyle” and most donors are sent home after only five days. While the Council of Europe has legal principles which in part state that “the body and its parts shall not be used for financial gain” many states within Europe and other parts of the world either disregard the principle of the Council or have substantial loopholes through which the principle can be ignored. The ethical controversies involving organ selling range from utilitarian, Kantian, virtue ethics, and consequentialist perspectives to name but a few. Many of these involve the idea of freedom of the agent or action in which individuals have the right to sell their body parts if they so desire or under which people have the choice and responsibility to society as a whole to stop the sale and exploitation of the poor within society to aid the rich. Bibliography lists 8 sources
Filename: TJorgan1.rtf

Organs for Sale: An Analysis
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A 5 page analysis of the pros and cons of instituting a market for transplantable human organs from an economic viewpoint. Discusses costs and benefits, both to the investor and society, and the questions which must be answered before a policy can be formulated. Bibliography lists three sources.
Filename: 90organ.rtf

Palliative Care for the Terminally Ill: Ethical Considerations
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A 10 page discussion of the ethics behind palliative care for the terminally ill. The author contends that palliative care for the terminally ill is a specialized field of medicine which is slowly emerging in step with certain changes in our society and our mindset. Evaluates a number of issues surrounding care for the terminally ill including resource allocation and pain management. Bibliography lists 10 sources.
Filename: PPpallia.rtf

Parental Role in Medical Consent for Procedures Performed on Of-Age Dependents
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A 6 page discussion of a hospital’s obligation to conduct certain testing on a nineteen year old student who, although of legal age, was covered under her parent’s HMO. The HMO subsequently refused to pay the bill and the parents objected to the fact that the hospital failed to inform them that their daughter was seeking treatment, contending that they would have refused the extensive testing because they were familiar with their daughter’s history of migraines and that her symptoms on the night in question did not constitute anything out of the ordinary. The hospital contends that because the daughter was of legal age her agreement to the testing regime constituted informed consent. The hospital also contends, however, that even if they had of been aware of the parent’s potential objections they would have conducted the tests because their primary responsibility was to the patient. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: PPmedCn2.rtf

Patient Safety in Clinical Trials
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This 55 page paper provides an overview of the central issues in addressing patient safety in clinical trials. This paper assesses the current perspectives, regulatory audit findings and suggestions, plans and strategies for improvement. In addition, this research study also considers the nature of IND safety assessments and prevalent issues like informed consent. Bibliography lists 25 sources.
Filename: MHPatsaf.wps

People As Guinea Pigs / Medical Ethics & The Tuskegee Case
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The Tuskegee Study was a 40-year project in which scientists observed - but did not adequately treat -syphilis among 412 black men in rural Alabama. By the time the study had concluded, it was found that the disease had killed at least 28 of its subjects. Essentially, Tuskegee exploited the lesser intelligent and silently forced them to participate in a study that would only hurt them. In this 2 page essay, the writer examines rules of consent and medical ethics to presents methods designed to prevent such an occurrence from ever happening again. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Tuskege.wps

Persistent Vegetative State PVS): Should These Patients Be Used As Organ Donors?
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5 pages in length. In a perfect world, artificial organs and tissues will finally reach the point of perfect utilization so that people will be spared the discomfort of making the donor decision for themselves or other loved ones. Indeed, the concept of organ donation and transplantation is one of complete selflessness, allowing an individual to survive through the life experiences of so many others. One has to wonder why all people would not possess such a benevolent attitude toward human existence. However, there is a certain population that lingers in limbo between life and death, creating a difficult situation for family members when it comes to organ donation: persistent vegetative state (PVS). The definition of death does not include PVS, which represents the crux of this controversy: should PVS patients be used as organ donors? Can the definition be changed to include PVS and, therefore, provide an even more comprehensive network of donors? Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: TLCvegie.wps

Phenacetin: The now-banned Pain Killer
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An 8 page overview of the history of the drug phenacetin. Describes the numerous potentially adverse and possibly even fatal aspects of the drug. Applauds the U.S. decision to outlaw it but questions the approval process which put it on the shelves in the first place. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: PPphenac.wps

Prescribing Psychiatric Drugs To Children
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A 12 page paper. The ratio of children who are diagnosed with a psychiatric condition and the numbers who are taking psychotropic drugs has soared in the last ten to fifteen years. In fact, prescriptions for Ritalin alone rose by 600 percent since the late 1980s. The writer provides a comprehensive investigation of the diagnosis and the use of prescribed drugs. Some studies allege that children are overdiagnosed and overmedicated, some concluded that many children slip through the cracks and are not diagnosed and treated, while still others suggest it is an issue of misdiagnosis and improper medication. This essay concludes with a discussion that addresses the ethics of prescribing these medications to children, when many have not been approved for use below the age of 18. Statistical data included. Bibliography lists 14 sources.
Filename: PGkidrx.rtf