PHI-413V Topic 3 DQ 1

The four principles of biomedical ethics, especially in the context of bioethics in the United States, have often been critiqued for raising the principle of autonomy to the highest place, such that it trumps all other principles or values. Based on your worldview, how do you rank the importance of each of the four principles in order to protect the health and safety of diverse populations?
Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to the “Discussion Question Rubric” and “Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.
American Association of Colleges of Nursing Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education
This assignment aligns with AACN Core Competencies: 3.1

Solution

The principle of autonomy is placed highest place when it comes to the context of bioethics in the country. However, in my worldview, I would rank the principles as follows.

The first principle in my rank would be non-maleficence. The basic ethical responsibility of healthcare workers is to prevent patients from experiencing any form of damage or harm (Trimble, 2024). In my view, it is important to consider the safety of a patient by ensuring no harm will happen to them.

The second principle is beneficence, in my view. Healthcare providers acting according to beneficence must prioritize the well-being of each patient so they provide care that benefits their health needs (Trimble, 2024). Diversified communities require medical approaches that use cultural awareness to heal their members and support their health requirements while improving the general health of the whole society.

The third principle, in my view, should be justice. Healthcare disparities need justice, yet I position it in third place in this framework because of its importance. Public policies based on justice principles must concentrate on fair healthcare resource re-distributions, although they heavily depend upon the state of larger structural frameworks and societal structures

Finally, the principle of autonomy should be ranked in the fourth position. The effective decision-making regarding personal healthcare stands as a vital right, but occupies the last position in my view. Healthcare access obstacles, along with discrimination and cultural difficulties, make it difficult for patients to achieve full autonomy even though it guarantees their rights to informed decision-making (Lawrence and Roosevelt, n.d).

References

Trimble, M. (2024). Ethics – A matter of principle? Ulster Med J, 93(2), 83-86. Epub 11. PMID: 39669951.

Lawrence, D. H. and Roosevelt, T. (n.d). Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. https://samples.jblearning.com/0763760633/60632_ch02.pdf

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