Running head: ETHICAL DILEMMA 1

Ethical Dilemma

Name

Institution
 ETHICAL DILEMMA 2

In the clinical setting I have encountered the ethical dilemma of control versus freedom.

This is whereby I find it difficult to decide on whether to exercise full control over a patient or to

respect the patient’s rights by letting them make their own decisions. In one specific case, I came

across a patient who was not willing to use pain medication yet I personally felt it was necessary.

The decision-making model proposed by Uustal can be applied to this situation. Based on

the first step of the model which recommends identifying one’s objective, I would be expected to

identify the objective behind advising the patient to take pain medication. In this situation the

objective was to help the patient go through a painless recovery process. The second step entails

surveying other existing options which in this case would include assessing whether there were

other remedies besides using pain medication. The next step has got to do with assessing the

implication of values that are at stake (DMC, 2016). Here I would ask myself whether my

decision was going to have an impact on my career or self-respect. I would then have to analyze

the significance of my decision and by so doing I would be in a position to know what amount of

money, time, and energy I would use to manage the case. The fifth step would include budgeting

my time and energy with regard to implementing the decision. For instance, I would be expected

to know how much time I will spend in trying to convince the patient to consider pain

medication. The manner in which I budget my time and energy will lead to the sixth step. In this

step I will choose a strategy that will most likely help me to achieve the desired results. For

example, I would decide to counsel the patient or involve the family. I can also come up with

other options in the seventh step by say seeking advice from my superiors. I would then evaluate

these options in the eighth step. In the final step I would make a choice by settling on counselling

the patient since it is less costly and time consuming.

 ETHICAL DILEMMA 3

Reference

DMC. (2016). 9 Step Decision Making Model. Decision-making Confidence.

http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/9-step-decision-making-model.html