Bioethics Ethical Evaluation of Dr. Pou

Ethical Evaluation of Mrs. Everett's Claims

Gert's two-step process Evaluation of Dr. Pou

Nursing Ethics in Emergency

Ethical Evaluation of Dr. Pou

From the contents of the article and the actions and the explanations given by Dr. Pou, it is clearly evident that the Kantian theory of ethics was followed by the doctor while she euthanized the seriously ill patients.

The Kantian theory of ethics was propounded by German philosopher Immanuel Kant which states that the will or intention behind an action is the sole judge of the morality of the action and morality is not influenced by the outcome or the results. The theory essentially emphasis the principles that are followed behind actions and influence the actions and not the end result of the actions. The universal principles that treat everyone equally is the motivating factor for acting according to this theory. Animal instincts are overcome when one is motivated by the right principles and that individual then can be said to have acted ethically.

This is essentially a duty-based or deontology theory that that completely and only focuses on the right and wrong of an action and does not take into account the consequences of an action. Thus the following or conducting actions that are universally accepted to be right are considered to be ethical according to this theory (Boylan, 2000). For example, the consideration that lies should not be told is considered to be a universally accepted ethical behavior. The duty that an individual has to perform while keeping in mind the universally accepted notions of right and wrong is stressed by this theory of ethics and hence is referred to as a duty based theory (Graham, 2004). This theory entails that for any individual while reflecting on what to do in a situation of ethical dilemma, should undertake actions that are according to human reasoning and good will and in this case the human good will is referred to as the will that obeys the universal moral law. Stephen Everson, Ethics (Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press, 1998).

The Kantian theory also follows certain categorical imperatives that construct moral law and these imperatives acts on everyone irrespective of their interests or desires.

The categorical imperatives in the Kantian theory entail that if an action is possible to be applied to all people without any form of contradiction, then that action can be permissible. This theory stresses on the treatment of humans as an end in themselves and not treated merely as a means to an end.

Application of the Kantian theory to medical science and medical practice relates to the claim that due dignity and respect for humans means that patients must never be treated merely as useful for society and the medical practitioner should be happy for the treatment performed.

In a nut shell with respect to the Kantian theory it can be said that the medical practitioners should stick to their obligations and duties when in an ethical dilemma and follow the obligations to an individual or a society. When this principle governs an action of a medical practitioner then the medical practitioner can be said to have been ethically correct for the course of actions undertaken by him/her.

In the case at hand, after the hurricane Katrina, Dr. Pou found many patients who were very critical and had the least or no chances of survival and were suffering immensely due to their physical injuries or illness. Dr. Po would be ethically correct according to the Kantian theory of ethics where the intention behind the act of the doctor is the sole judge of ethics. Hence the doctor wanted to provide relief to the terminally ill or injured patients after the hurricane hit and providing relief from physical pain and suffering is an obligation of the doctor not only towards an individual but to the society as well. Hence the moral motivation behind the actions of Dr. Pou was for the benefit of the patient and the only way to provide relief was to euthanize the patient. Hence from the point-of-view of the Kantian theory of ethics, the actions of Dr. Pou were completely ethical.

Ethical Evaluation of Mrs. Everett's Claims

The family of Mr. Everett claimed that the doctors and the nurses had no right to 'play God' means that the doctors and the nurses should have allowed Mr. Everett to stay the way he was and not worry too much about what would have happened to him if...

They claimed that Mr. Everett should have been left along and God should have decided what would have happened to him instead of the doctors and the nurses choosing ot inject him with lethal drugs to ease his pain of not being rescued and possibility of facing future grave dangers in case he was not rescued or evacuated.
The ethical background of the claims by the family of Mr. Everett is rooted in the rights-based ethical theories that stresses utmost importance to the rights of person -- legal, human, etc., while deciding on what is ethically and morally correct or wrong.

The rights-based ethics claims that humans as individuals and as social entities have certain rights and they should ethically be treated according to the rights that they deserve. Not treating them according to the rights that they possess amounts to unethical actions on the part of the others.

According to the rights-based ethical theories there are two primary forms of rights - natural and conventional.

Natural rights are those that are acquired by an individual by virtue of humanity and are equally and universally applicable to all humans. Such natural rights include rights to life, rights to be treated in a just and equitable manner and right to be heard and be heard.

On the other hand natural rights are essentially called moral rights that individuals acquire over time and by virtue of being in a particular society. Such rights are created by humans and the context of such rights lies, in general, in the social and political organizations.

Another offshoot of right-based ethical theory is the negative and positive rights. Negative right is a duty on another person that pertains to noninterference on others or the life of others. one examples is that the right to life is a positive right for an individual as he/she has the right to live while it is a negative right or a duty on others to let that individual live and not kill that individual.

On the other hand positive rights are the ones that impose duties of assistance on others. For example the states have the ethical duty according to the positive right theory of taking care of the people in aspects that the people themselves not capable of undertaking.

Therefore in the case of Mr. Everett, the right of the individual according to the right-based ethics were violated. Mr. Everett had a natural right to stay alive and be treated humanely and with care which emanates from his natural rights as a human being because natural rights apply to everyone irrespective of the ethnicity, religion or race. Hence when the doctors and the nurses decided that they would try and reduce or end the suffering that mr. Everett was undergoing at that moment as wwelll as eliminate the risks of suffering that he was likely to face in the near future if he was not rescued or evacuated, by administering lethal injections, it violated Mr. Everett right natural right to life. In this context it can be said that the doctors and the nurses had acted in an unethical manner.

This is also the basis for the words that were spoken by Mrs. Everett when she said that they (the doctors and the nurses who administered the lethal injection on Mr. Everett) had not right to 'play God'. Mrs. Everett's contention was that right to life was an anutral right that was acquired by Mr. Everett from the moment he took birth and would have continued until "God" ended it and that no human could be ethically right to have ended Mr. Everett's life

Gert's two-step process Evaluation of Dr. Pou

Bernard Gert defined morality and divided them into two broad steps that need to be followed in order to be morally correct and ethical. He also identified 10 Do's and Don't's of the moral code that need to be followed in order to render and action to be morally justified. The two broad categories of moral rules according to Gert are do not harm and do not violate trust.

He further subdivides these rules into five types.

There are five types of not harming:

Do not kill, Do not cause pain, Do not disable, Do not deprive of freedom, Do not deprive of pleasure

And Gert also identifies the five types of do not violate trust as:

Do not deceive, Keep your promises, Do not cheat, Obey the law, Do your duty in the case at hand, Dr. Pou and the nurses violated the very first moral principle of Gert -- 'Do not Kill'. However the doctors and the nurses seem to have adhered…