Paramedic Law and Ethics Free Essay Example, 1500 words

In this case, the principles of justice and beneficence must be prioritized over and above individual interests. Beauchamp’s theory on ethics is largely based on the above utilitarian ideas laid out by John Stuart Mills and Immanuel Kant. For Childress however, his views are more deontological. In applying this to the practice, a utilitarian would focus more on the result of the behaviour for the most number of people; he would also aim for the happiness of the majority (Berglund, 2007). On the other hand, the deontologist assesses the fundamental rule which should be applied in all scenarios in order to ensure ethical practices (Berglund, 2007). These different theories sometimes apply to patients depending on their circumstances. How each situation is judged is still largely based on the principles of ethics. Reading Report 2: Berglund, C. (2007) Ethics for Healthcare (3rd edition). New York: Oxford University Press In the second chapter of Berglund’s ‘Ethics for Healthcare, ’ she discusses about the principle of justice and its application in the healthcare practice. We will write a custom essay sample on Paramedic Law and Ethics or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page In the unequal distribution of resources, a health care professional, as pointed out by Berglund (2007), must try to ‘do good’ at all times. ‘Doing good, ’ is the very essence of caring and in ‘doing good, ’ the health care professional must apply the principle of beneficence. As a result, the different principles of ethics coordinate with each other. In instances when these different principles come in conflict with each other, the least selfish principle must be chosen by the practitioner. In instances where conflict between patient autonomy and beneficence is seen, beneficence seems to be more important to uphold (Berglund, 2007). Where justice itself conflicts with other people’s entitlement to justice, the concept of comparative need has to be considered (Berglund, 2007).