Decision using Utilitarian Ethics
general article writing
Description
Deliverable: Your assignment is to make the decision using utilitarian ethics--as this week's
classwork and discussions have brought you that skill--and then to write it up in the form of a
Memorandum for the hospital records. Remember that this record could be reviewed by the Peer
Review Committee or the Hospital Trustees at a later date. This is Utilitarian Week in our
course. Employ what you have learned from J. S. Mill and Utilitarianism this week AND one
other of our course's ethicists (of your choice) from earlier weeks. The Memorandum should be
at least two double-spaced pages with a maximum of three pages, in memorandum form, ready
to become an official item of record.
Scenario: Ok, Lead Surgeon, it is time to do what you do best! There is a lot at stake.
The decision must be made almost immediately. Like all actions, you will need to write
your decision into medical documentation before you begin. Yes, that means YOU! In
the limited time before you would begin surgery, you need to consider the cases; the
technical issues involved also, and write a Memorandum for the Record to document
what decision you made and what considerations you included in your process. This will
be on the record, so it needs to be thorough in case it needs to justify your actions at a
later date.
