Steps Involved in Ethical Decision-Making

Ethical decision-making is a part of everyday life. Healthcare workers have to ensure
that they make ethical decisions daily. The steps involved in ethical decision-making are: define the problem, state the ethical issues involved, identify the parties affected
by the ethical decision, examine the consequences, consider ethical principles, employ
creative thinking to come up with potential actions, make the decision and be prepared to
counter opposing arguments (Park, 2012). Defining the problem involves the identification of
the issue at hand. In this step, one has to gather relevant facts. The next step involves
ensuring that all ethical considerations are taken into account. One then moves to consider the
ethical guidelines that are involved in decision-making. In the healthcare setup, it is also
important to identify the parties affected by the ethical decision to be made. One also has to
ensure that they employ creative thinking to come up with possible solutions (Park, 2012).
The solutions need to be weighed against the potential consequences as well as the applicable
ethical principles. One then makes the decision and implements an ethical decision.
Most Important Step in Decision Making
In the healthcare setup, the most important step is the consideration of the affected
parties. The aim is to ensure that patients are provided with the best care. As a result, all
decisions must be made by considering the welfare of the patients. In considering the welfare
of the patients, an individual is likely to make the decision that will result in the least harm to
the affected parties.

UNIT 3 – INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 3

References

Park, E. J. (2012). An integrated ethical decision-making model for nurses. Nursing
ethics, 19(1), 139-159.