Question

Cite an example in which a conflict could arise between your sense of duty to the patient and the negative consequences your act might have on someone else. I need an actual example/scenario. Multiple examples would be better. This question comes from the book: Thical Dimensions in the Health Professions (5th edition), chapter 4, problem 2qtd

Answer 1

A sense of duty implies care and responsibility on part of a medical professional. However,this needs to be done in a sensible manner. There might arise certain circumstances in a routine duty which may make the working environment bad. This generally results from the different perception or degree of understanding which varies from one individual to another. For instance, lets assume I am looking after a patient who is HIV positive and is at last stage of it. I know that he needs a lot more care and love than other patients who might be in the same ward and taking treatment for other non-life threatening disease. By looking at my behavior and sense of duty to the AIDS patient they might feel low and it might hurt them. Although they may not express it in words but I can get a feeling of it by observing their attitude.