Word Analysis of Healing and Autonomy Case Study
The healing process is understood differently by people. The process of healing is either thought of as an autonomic process that requires spiritual intervention from religious leaders or the result of treatment procedures made by medical practitioners in an attempt to help the patients heal. Thus, investigating the validity of the different viewpoints is important. Specifically, the investigation is necessary for medical practitioners whose duty is to ensure that the patients heal. A deeper understanding of the healing process will give the doctors an insight of what is critical in the process. Additionally, the integration between ethics and religion and healing or treatment remains a critical issus in the nursing field. It is this organization that helps guide the role of religion in key aspects in nursing. Therefore, this paper will analyze the case study of healing and autonomy and use the case study to illustrate the ethical issues and Christian principles and values that affect the healing process.
Ethical Issues and Christian Principles
Ethical Issues
There are ethical issues that arise in the case study on autonomy and healing regarding how the doctors handled the James’ situation. To begin with, the physicians and the parents failed to exploit every means of getting a kidney before they considered asking Samuel to donate a kidney to James. There were other options that they could have considered first. These include options such as searching for a cadaver donor whose kidney could be compatible with James. Additionally, “Structurally, donation accords both to general and to specifically Christian archetypes of sacrifice” (Mangoven, 2003, pg.89). The failure of the physicians to find a compatible cadaver donor invalidates the attempt that the physician made in advising Mike and Joanne to ask Samuel to donate one of Samuel’s kidneys to James.
Furthermore, the nephrologists’ advice to Mike about considering making Samuel donate a kidney to James without considering all the requirements that minors are required to attain before donating their body organ is unethical. Just as the ethics governing the donation of body organs by minors demands, Samuel was supposed to be a willing volunteer for the donation before being considered as a possible donor. This was meant to happen without the coercion from any family member.
Moreover, considering to ask Samuel to make a kidney donation without Samuel’s representation by a donor advocate was unethical. Basing on the codes of ethics, Samuel should only decide to make a body organ donation with the guidance of a donor advocate. The advocate’s role is to ensure that Samuel fully understands the details about the benefits and effects of the donation before agreeing to donate the kidney.
Christian Principles and Values
The case study has demonstrated basic principles and values that influence medical practice. First, the Mike and Joanne express their faith in God’s ability to heal their son when they take James for a healing service. The couple arrived at this decision after witnessing their close friend regaining mobility after a prayer session. This shows the couples’ true Christian nature of believing that God has mighty powers which have healing ability (Wakefield, 2013, pg.111). Thus, the couple withdrew James from the medical treatment schedule and took James for a prayer session.
Furthermore, the close friends to Mike and Joanne and the church members demonstrated their Christian values by volunteering to donate a kidney for James. The church members expressed Christian values such as solidarity of the congregation and compassion for the sick members of the community by offering to help their James. Although there was no match among the members, the members’ willingness to try and help the troubled family was a demonstration of their Christian values (Meilaender, 2013, pg.90).
Besides, Mike demonstrates common Christian principles by considering to remain firm and loyal to God. Mike thinks about the further deterioration of James’ kidneys as a test of faith from God. Consequently, Mike decides to remain firm in the religion although Mike finds the situation confusing. This loyalty to Christianity despite the challenges demonstrates the Christian value of tolerance and perseverance (Shelly & Miller, 2006, pg.215). Thus, Mike proves to be a strong Christian by persevering and remaining tolerant to the temptations.
Analysis of Ethical Issues and Christian Principles
Analysis of Ethical Issues
First, the nephrologist acted unethically by prematurely deciding to consider Samuel as a possible kidney donor. This decision was premature since the decision to allow a minor to be a donor should come last after all options have failed. This requirement is in accordance to the code of ethics governing the donation of body organs by minors (Mongoven, 2003, pg.90). To illustrate this breach in the procedure, the nephrologist in the case study decided to include Samuel in the donor’s options before trying to find a compatible cadaver first.
Additionally, Samuel’s willingness should have been a priority. In the case study, Mike began bargaining about whether Samuel should donate a kidney to James without consulting with Samuel first. This was a breach of the ethics code since Mike had no right over Samuel’s organs. The codes of ethics do not provide the parents with the privilege of deciding for their children whether they should donate a kidney or not. This provision by the codes of ethics leaves the Child with the chance to make the decision independently without coercion.
Lastly, Samuel should have had a donor advocate in case the donation was approved. The codes of ethics require the minors to have donor advocate before the donation of their body organs so that the advocates can advise them accordingly. The nephrologist should have requested for a donor advocate to be present before urging Mike to consider Samuel as a potential donor.
Analysis of Christian principles
Mike demonstrated faith in God through postponing James’ dialysis so that Mike could take James to a healing session. This step shows Mike’s firm confidence in God’s ability. However, the action did not help James to heal as the step had done to Mike and Joanne’s’ close friend. Thus, Mike and Joanne should have learned of the importance of the medical procedures in the healing process. This is important because Mike and Joanne have absolute powers to decide the kind of treatment that James gets. Even if the physician did not agree with their decision, the Physician could have behaved unethically if the physician could prevent Mike and Joanne from foregoing James’ treatment.
Moreover, the friend and church members showed their solidarity and compassion for James as a sign of their Christian values. It is a common practice for church members to gather when a member of the congregation gets a serious problem. This is an explicit demonstration of Christian values that the Christianity encourages the Christians to have. These values are meant to be problem solvers. For instance, the church members intended to find a compatible kidney within the congregation although they failed to get one.
Finally, Mike should learn to understand and differentiate the situations that are beyond the use of spiritual means as the sole way of solving those cases. Basing on the case study, Mike failed to learn from the first attempt of trying to heal James through prayers that James’ kidneys deteriorated because he had postponed James’ treatment. Also, other Christians should learn from this situation on the importance of being practical when dealing with serious medical situations. The Christians should have a precise knowledge of the position and role of God and the doctors during the treatment process. They can pray to God as they let the Doctors treat the patients at the same time. This will ensure that the patients heal as they remain faithful to God.
Conclusion
The influence of ethical issues and Christian principles and values on healing is significant enough to warrant a critical analysis. First, the ethical issues serve as guidelines that protect the individuals involved in the various medical procedures from exploitation or conflict. For instance, the ethical issues protect the organ donors such as children from coercion. On the other hand, the Christian principles and values serve as a guideline that helps the Christians to be able to overcome the stressful situations associated with disease states. For instance, Mike remains faithful and hopeful despite the worsening James’ condition because of Mike’s Christian values such as hope and faith. Therefore, integration of religion and nursing practices will go a long way in ensuring that religion does not inhibit care but helps give hope and faith for patients.
References
Meilaender, G. (2013). Bioethics: A Primer for Christians. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/wm-b-eerdmans-publishing-co/2013/bioethics_a-primer-for-christians_ebook_3e.php
Mongoven, A. (2003). Sharing our body and blood: Organ donation and feminist critiques of sacrifice. Journal of Medicine & Philosophy, 28(1), 89-114. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9955056&site=eds-live&scope=site
Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2006). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic/InterVarsity Press. http://gcumedia.com/digital-resources/intervarsity-press/2006/called-to-care_a-christian-worldview-for-nursing_ebook_2e.php
Wakefield, H. (2013). Narrative and a christian bioethics. Ethics & Medicine, 29(2), 111-126. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=87572373&site=eds-live&
