Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
PHI 413 Ethical and Spiritual Decision Making In Health Care Essay Assignment
Week 4 Assignment Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
The practice of health care providers at all levels brings you into contact with people from a variety of faiths. This calls for knowledge and understanding of a diversity of faith expressions; for the purpose of this course, the focus will be on the Christian worldview.
Based on “Case Study: End of Life Decisions,” the Christian worldview, and the worldview questions presented in the required topic study materials you will complete an ethical analysis of George’s
situation and his decision from the perspective of the Christian worldview.
Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and DyingProvide a 1,500-2,000-word ethical analysis while answering the following questions:
How would George interpret his suffering in light of the
Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the fallenness of the world?
How would George interpret his suffering in light of the
Christian narrative, with an emphasis on the hope of resurrection?
Click HERE to ORDER A UNIQUELY CRAFTED Nursing Essay Assignment: Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying
George’s Interpretation of Suffering In Light Of the Christian Narrative with an Emphasis on the Fallenness of the World
The perceptions of Christians on suffering provides them with the with an ideas or opinions on suffering and death. According to Christians, there are different perceptions on the individuals who suffer. In other words, according to the Christian teachings, those who suffer have a special role to play in God’s kingdom through ministries. From the bible, Christians are taught that in the times of suffering, it is important for the people to achieve a greater course in their lives. Also, from the teachings, it has been clearly stated that that the world is fallen short even without suffering. From the scripture, it is clear that people are already suffering or living with the diseases, physical pain, accidents and deaths, as well as natural calamities. The above teachings usually remind people on the shortcomings associated with activities undertaken by people in the world. There is a shortcoming that a man naturally exists; they originate from God’s creation as elaborated in the creation stories. From the scripture, God created earth and placed a man in it (Inbadas et al., 2017). The man was called Adam, he later disobeyed God and the act of rebellion led to the origin of sin, making God angry, thereafter there was a curse put on the rest of the creation or the descendants of Adam.
George interprets his suffering based on the above narrative. In other words, it was the fallen notion that caused his persistent terminal illness. George saw his illness as a consequence of a man’s shortcomings. It is through the above fallness that made God unhappy that led to the curse on Adam and Eve. George relate his suffering to the creation story, after God cursed Adam and all his descendants.Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
As George contemplates life with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), how would the Christian worldview inform his view about the
value of his life as a person?
What sorts of values and considerations would the Christian
worldview focus on in deliberating about whether or not George should opt for
euthanasia?
Given the above, what options would be morally justified in
the Christian worldview for George and why?
Based on your worldview, what decision would you make if you
were in George’s situation?
Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and DyingRemember to support your responses with the topic study materials.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in
the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is
required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric
prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for
successful completion.You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite.
Refer to the LopesWrite Technical Support articles for assistance.
Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
End of Life and Sanctity of Life, Commentary 1
Mrs. Jones is an 82-year-old nursing home resident with a longstanding history of heart failure, who is now hospitalized in the cardiac ICU for the third time this year. She is a retired teacher, with 4 children and 8 grandchildren. She did not list a religious preference when admitted to the hospital. The attending cardiologist, Dr. Rosenberg, is a heart failure specialist, and is an active member of an Orthodox Jewish congregation.
On day 3 of her hospitalization, Mrs. Jones developed a fever, which was subsequently determined to be caused by a MRSA line infection from a venous catheter. On day 4, her renal function began steadily deteriorating, until her serum potassium reached dangerous levels.
She has been unconscious for 2 days, and, according to hospital records and her children, she has no advance directives to guide end-of-life care. Dr. Rosenberg requests a family conference with Mrs. Jones’s children (her husband is deceased) to discuss their mother’s prognosis and the appropriate next steps in treatment.
“I’m afraid that your mother’s health is steadily deteriorating,” Dr. Rosenberg tells Mrs. Jones’s family. “She has a serious infection that has failed to respond to traditional antibiotics.”
“How did she get this infection, doctor?” Mrs. Jones’s daughter Jennifer asks.
“That’s a good question. It’s likely the result of an IV line we placed during her admission,” Dr. Rosenberg replies. “Your mother’s infection is caused by a resistant strain of staphylococcus that is common in intensive care units and hospitals, but we have more aggressive antibiotics we can use. I should also tell you that her kidneys are failing, and we’ll need to begin dialysis to ensure that her electrolytes and fluid status are kept at normal levels. Despite this, I think there’s a strong possibility she’ll pull through.”
At this point, Mrs. Jones’s eldest son Franklin interrupts. “Look, doctor,” he says, “My cousin was on dialysis for years, and, until he died, he was really miserable. I don’t want my mom to have to go through that at this age. I think enough is enough. She’s been in the hospital 3 times this year alone.”
“I understand your concern,” Dr. Rosenberg says, “but you should realize that your mother may not require long-term dialysis. Her kidneys may recover, but at this stage, dialysis is the only solution left to correct her electrolyte imbalances. If we don’t lower her potassium, she’ll likely develop a fatal arrhythmia.”
Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
Franklin looks at the rest of the family, who are shaking their heads. “Honestly, I think you shouldn’t treat her any further. Even if it’s not permanent, starting dialysis just isn’t a path we want her to start on. And the ‘aggressive antibiotics’—I don’t see any reason to pour more substances into her already tired body. It’s obviously her time to go. Can’t you just give her something to make her comfortable?”
Dr. Rosenberg pauses for a moment and then tells Franklin. “We fully intend to keep her comfortable and continue treating her pain. As you know, I’m committed to doing what’s best for your mother. But in good conscience, I can’t stop treating your mother as long as there are reasonable courses of action that I could take to preserve her life. According to the principles that guide my practice of medicine, I cannot withhold life-saving treatment from any patient—especially antibiotic therapy and temporary dialysis, both treatments with uncontroversial efficacy.”
Commentary 1
One who sustains the life of but one human being is considered as if he has saved an entire world. —Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin, 37a.
As Dr. Rosenberg invokes Jewish law in his approach to his patient, it behooves us to discuss how Jewish law would address this case.
1) Would Jewish law indeed require dialysis for Mrs. Jones?
2) If the law requires dialysis for Mrs. Jones, can Dr. Rosenberg, according to Jewish law, impose his religious beliefs on others?
3) Does it matter that this patient is not of the same faith as Dr. Rosenberg and does not subscribe to the same religious teachings?
While the voice of Orthodox Judaism is not monolithic and, indeed, a plurality of approaches within accepted boundaries is the norm, one can nevertheless distill immutable principles and values deriving from the Bible, Talmud, and legal codes, which inform the discussion and guide the decisions of rabbinic authorities. Debate and nuanced textual interpretation are hallmarks of Jewish legal discourse. While herein we discuss particulars of a fictional case, any actual case of Jewish medical ethics must be presented to the proper rabbinic authority.
A number of legal principles serve as the foundation for decisions in the field of Jewish medical ethics. One such principle is the sanctity of life and the obligation to preserve it. The concept of quality of life has different meaning in the Jewish tradition, and life, be it sentient or not, is of infinite value. This does not mean that life need be perpetuated at all times and at all cost. According to many rabbinic authorities, there are limited circumstances where specific treatments may be withheld. A full treatment of this area of law is beyond the scope of this essay, but the discussions of withholding treatment are generally restricted to patients suffering from terminal, untreatable conditions, who are enduring intractable suffering. The specific treatments that can be withheld are debated, but all agree that nutrition, hydration, and oxygen (not necessarily intubation) should be provided to all patients and are not subject to refusal. One is therefore not permitted to withhold food, even if insertion of a feeding tube is required for its delivery, as this is considered basic human sustenance to be provided to all people. Terri Schaivo, for example, according to Jewish law, would not be considered to have a lesser quality of life than this writer. She did not suffer from a terminal, incurable disease, and withholding food would clearly not have been permitted according to orthodox Jewish tradition.
Mrs. Jones’s medical condition is not discussed in great detail, but for our purposes, I will assume that Mrs. Jones has an acute, potentially reversible infection complicated by renal failure, which could theoretically be reversed with antibiotics and temporary dialysis. In such a case, Jewish law would likely require that dialysis be performed, inasmuch as Mrs. Jones would surely die without it. If Mrs. Jones were suffering from end-stage metastatic cancer and developed irreversible renal failure, a strong case could be made according to Jewish law to refrain from dialysis.
Having established that according to Jewish law dialysis would be indicated, is Dr. Rosenberg obligated, according to this same law, to impose his beliefs on others? The answer here is a decided “no.” Even if the patient were of the same faith and subscribed to his religious beliefs, Dr. Rosenberg would not be required to coerce therapy. The reason is clear from another exercise in legal analysis: American law forbids treatment against a patient’s will, and Dr. Rosenberg could theoretically receive legal, ethical, and professional censure (not to mention the criminal consequences) for violating a patient’s rights and bodily integrity. This could lead to the loss of livelihood and profession for Dr. Rosenberg, and would preclude him from assisting in the aid and treatment of future patients. Furthermore, Jewish law places great emphasis on respect for the law of the land where one lives and would disapprove of the violation of American law, with some theoretical exceptions.
As stated above, Jewish law does not require a physician to coerce therapy, if it would result in the loss of profession and livelihood. This concept applies, however, only in a situation where Dr. Rosenberg performs no Jewish-legally prohibited actions that would lead to the demise of the patient. In this case, Dr. Rosenberg is simply refraining from performing dialysis, but performs no specific action that leads to the hastening of the patient’s death. He is permitted the nonaction to preserve his profession and livelihood.
One could envision a theoretical circumstance where Dr. Rosenberg is asked to perform an action to hasten the patient’s death. For example, if the family wishes to disconnect a patient from a ventilator, that is an action which will lead to the patient’s demise. Here, too, one might argue that Dr. Rosenberg should not impose his religious beliefs on the family, and he should therefore accede to the request and disconnect the ventilator. In this case, however, Jewish law would not allow Dr. Rosenberg to disconnect the ventilator, even if his profession were at risk, because this scenario requires Dr. Rosenberg to perform a Jewish-legally prohibited act. (While one could argue that disconnecting the ventilator is not hastening death but rather allowing nature to take its course, Jewish law thinks otherwise, and focuses on the causality. This action will undoubtedly lead to the death of the patient.) Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
Although coercion would be out of the question according to Jewish law, Dr. Rosenberg could suggest a compromise approach, whereby he encourages the family to allow antibiotics and dialysis on a trial basis. As the antibiotic therapy and the dialysis are discrete treatments, and not continuous, as is a respirator, there would be no problem for Dr. Rosenberg, as established above, to discontinue them if the family later requested such. Indeed, if the family is told that there is a chance of recovery with this regimen, but, if it fails, they will have the option to later discontinue the treatments, there might be greater chance of agreement between Dr. Rosenberg and the family. The family may take great comfort in the assurance that all efforts were made to treat their loved one, and the possible subsequent guilt of withholding potentially life-saving treatment would be alleviated.
Course Code Class Code Assignment Title Total Points
NRS-433V NRS-433V-O503 Case Study on Death and Dying 200.0
Criteria Percentage Unsatisfactory (0.00%) Less Than Satisfactory (65.00%) Satisfactory (75.00%) Good (85.00%) Excellent (100.00%)
Content 70.0%
Suffering and Fallenness of the World 12.0% Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the fallenness of the world is insufficient or not supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the fallenness of the world is unclear or vaguely supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the fallenness of the world is clear and supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the fallenness of the world is clear and skillfully supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the fallenness of the world is clear and demonstrates a deep understanding that is skillfully supported by topic study materials.
Suffering and the Hope of Resurrection 12.0% Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the hope of resurrection is insufficient or not supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the hope of resurrection is unclear or vaguely supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the hope of resurrection is clear and supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the hope of resurrection is clear and skillfully supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the man would interpret his suffering in light of the Christian narrative and the hope of resurrection is clear and demonstrates a deep understanding that is skillfully supported by topic study materials.
Value of Life 12.0% Analysis of how the Christian worldview of the man might inform his view about the value of his life as a person with ALS is insufficient or not supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the Christian worldview of the man might inform his view about the value of his life as a person with ALS is unclear or vaguely supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the Christian worldview of the man might inform his view about the value of his life as a person with ALS is clear and supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the Christian worldview of the man might inform his view about the value of his life as a person with ALS is clear and skillfully supported by topic study materials. Analysis of how the Christian worldview of the man might inform his view about the value of his life as a person with ALS is clear and demonstrates a deep understanding that is skillfully supported by topic study materials.
Euthanasia 12.0% Evaluation of which values and considerations the Christian worldview focuses on when deliberating the option of euthanasia for the man is insufficient or not supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which values and considerations the Christian worldview focuses on when deliberating the option of euthanasia for the man is unclear or vaguely supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which values and considerations the Christian worldview focuses on when deliberating the option of euthanasia for the man is clear and supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which values and considerations the Christian worldview focuses on when deliberating the option of euthanasia for the man is clear and skillfully supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which values and considerations the Christian worldview focuses on when deliberating the option of euthanasia for the man is clear and demonstrates a deep understanding that is skillfully supported by topic study materials.
Morally Justified Options 12.0% Evaluation of which options would be justified in the Christian worldview for the man is insufficient or not supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which options would be justified in the Christian worldview for the man is unclear or vaguely supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which options would be justified in the Christian worldview for the man is clear and supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which options would be justified in the Christian worldview for the man is clear and skillfully supported by topic study materials. Evaluation of which options would be justified in the Christian worldview for the man is clear and demonstrates a deep understanding that is skillfully supported by topic study materials.
Personal Decision 10.0% Reflection hypothesis of which personal choices would be made if faced with ALS based on personal worldview is insufficient. Reflection hypothesis of which choices would be made if faced with ALS based on personal worldview is lacking a personal connection. Reflection hypothesis of which personal choices would be made if faced with ALS based on personal worldview is clear. Reflection hypothesis of which personal choices would be made if faced with ALS based on personal worldview is clear and thoughtful. Reflection hypothesis of which personal choices would be make if faced with ALS based on personal worldview is clear, relevant, and insightful.
Organization, Effectiveness, and Format 30.0%
Thesis Development and Purpose 7.0% Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim. Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear. Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose. Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose. Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.
Argument Logic and Construction 8.0% Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources. Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility. Argument is orderly, but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis. Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative. Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.
Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use) 5.0% Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is used. Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied. Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed. Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech. Writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.Assignment: PHI 413 Case Study on Death and Dying Essay Assignment
Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment) 5.0% Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly. Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent. Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present. Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style. All format elements are correct.
Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style) 5.0% Sources are not documented. Documentation of sources is inconsistent and/or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error.