Ethics

Maria works as a nurse in a busy hospital. One night, she is the only nurse on duty in the emergency room. Two patients are admitted simultaneously: an elderly man with a severe heart attack and a young mother involved in a car accident who is also in critical condition. Both require immediate medical attention to survive, but Maria can only focus on one patient due to the severity of their conditions and the limited resources available at that moment. Explain why this situation constitutes a dilemma. describe the factors that make this decision difficult. Consider ethical principles, professional responsibilities, and personal values. Choose a course of action and justify your decision. Explain the reasoning behind your choice and how you weighed the competing factors.

Case Situation Question:

Dr. Garcia is a medical doctor working in a war-torn region where resources are extremely limited. One day, he is faced with a critical situation: two patients arrive at the makeshift clinic simultaneously. One is a young child suffering from a severe infection that requires immediate antibiotic treatment to survive. The other is an elderly woman with a chronic heart condition that also requires urgent medical intervention. Dr. Garcia has only enough antibiotics and heart medication for one patient, not both.

Given the conflicting moral requirements—to save the life of the young child or to save the elderly woman—Dr. Garcia is unsure which action to take. He understands the value of saving lives but struggles to determine which moral requirement should take precedence in this situation.

• Identify what type of moral dilemma Dr. Garcia is facing. Provide an explanation of this type of dilemma. Give possible solution base on ethical principles.

Sarah is a dedicated social worker in a small town. One day, she discovers two critical cases that need her immediate attention. In the first case, a family with young children is facing eviction due to inability to pay rent, which will leave them homeless and vulnerable. In the second case, an elderly man living alone is severely ill and needs immediate medical assistance and daily care, or he may not survive the week.

Sarah has the resources and time to fully assist only one of these cases due to her limited capacity. Both situations demand urgent attention, and she feels a strong moral obligation to help both the family and the elderly man. However, she cannot decide which requirement is stronger as both seem equally important.

• Identify what type of moral dilemma Sarah is facing. Provide an explanation of this type of dilemma and provide possible solution base on ethical consideration.

Emma is a firefighter who is called to a major building fire. When she arrives, she learns that there are two groups of people trapped in different parts of the building. In one part, a group of children is trapped on the second floor, and in the other part, an elderly couple is trapped on the fourth floor. The fire is spreading rapidly, and there is no time to save both groups; she must decide quickly which group to rescue.

Emma is faced with a heartbreaking decision: should she save the group of children, who have their entire lives ahead of them, or the elderly couple, who have lived long but still deserve to be rescued? Both choices are morally compelling, but she cannot save both.

• Identify what type of moral dilemma Emma is facing.

• Provide an explanation of this type of dilemma and give your possible solution, what ethical actions should you consider?

Maria is a school principal who has been manipulating student test scores to make her school appear more successful and to secure additional funding. Over time, the pressure mounts, and Maria realizes the negative impact her actions are having on students' true learning experiences. One day, an anonymous letter arrives, threatening to reveal her actions unless she resigns and confesses publicly.

Maria is now faced with a moral dilemma. If she confesses, she will lose her job, ruin her professional reputation, and potentially face legal consequences. However, if she denies the accusations and is later exposed, the scandal will be even greater, and the damage to her school and career will be much worse. Identify what type of moral dilemma Maria is facing.

• Provide an explanation of this type of dilemma and give possible solutions through the lens of ethical standard.