Darielle Connor
Essay #1
In this essay I will explain why I would support a prescription for Mr. S and present two arguments, based on beneficence and autonomy, to support this position. I believe that in order to act with beneficence, I must take the mental well-being of the patient into account as well as respect their individual autonomy to not fully disclose all of their motives for asking for this particular prescription.
Beneficence advocates, “…[acting] in a way that benefits others.” (Yeo, 103), whether that’s acting to make something good happen or to stop harm from happening. As a healthcare provider, I take the role of acting with beneficence very seriously. I feel that many different facets of health can influence my choices for treatment regarding a patient. One of those facets is making sure my patient is content in the romantic and social aspects of his life. Viagra for Mr. S could lead to a more satisfied sexual well-being, which in turn could lead him to feel more contented in his life. If Mr. S feels happier in his life, it may lead to him coming off of the SSRI medication that he’s currently on. That would be very beneficial as he would no longer need to be taking a medication that may have negative side effects or alter his way of thinking. To be a caring clinician, I practice with the intention of preventing unnecessary psychoactive medication use. I feel that possibly helping my patient to come off of the SSRI falls under the umbrella of removing harm, as taking any kind of medication has risks and unwanted side effects.
With Mr. S presenting as a healthy and socially adept male, his autonomy described as, “… the right to make independent decisions concerning one’s own life and well being.” (Yeo, 91), does not need to be questioned. Because of his ability to freely make his own decisions, I feel that he also can effectively deliberate over the pros and cons of taking a sexual dysfunction medication, and his right to free action should be respected if he does not want to discuss his possible sexual dysfunctions. However, with respect to his free action, comes the possible problem that he’s holding back certain information to maintain his perceived dignity. Whether this is out of pride or out of cultural principles, it is still an important factor to consider when making my decision to prescribe the Viagra. He may be uncomfortable discussing his sexual dysfunctions with me, as a fairly young and female physician assistant. Mr. S is also of a fairly young age himself, further calling attention to the possibility of his embarrassment in discussing any sexual issues he may be having. After I explained the risks of taking Viagra and asked probing questions regarding his sex life, Mr. S was still interested in trying it. To respect his right to free action, I don’t believe I should be questioning his motives for wanting the Viagra prescription. Clearly, feeling like “more of a man” is a very important factor in his identity and has to lead him to seek a way to alleviate that concern. He may also have discussed these issues with his confidant at the gym, which lead his friend to suggest the Viagra in the first place. Since he mentions this discussion, I believe that he has had some time to himself to have effectively deliberated over the pros and cons of taking a medication like Viagra. Perhaps Mr. S. discussed some feeling of inadequacy with his gym friend that he hasn’t disclosed to me during our appointment, his comment about feeling like “more of a man” leads me to think so. He remains confident in his choice to ask for the Viagra, showing his effective deliberation over starting a new medication. With Mr. S being socially conventional and of sound mind, I must respect his choices and aid him to lead the best life he possibly can.
I feel that if a patient has weighed the risks and benefits of a certain drug and still wants to use it, I should be respectful of that decision and help them to achieve the best possible outcome. I also want to feel that I am practicing to my full potential and remaining sensitive to the feelings of my patients. Prescribing Mr. S the Viagra may benefit his long-term mental health, thus improving his overall well-being.
Works Cited:
- Yeo, Michael et al. (2010). Beneficence. In M Yeo et al. (eds.). Concepts and Cases in Nursing Ethics. [3rd edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 103-116.
- Yeo, M et al. (2010). Autonomy [selections]. In M Yeo et al. (eds.). Concepts and Cases in Nursing Ethics. [3rd edition] Ontario: Broadview Press, pp. 91-97, 103-109.
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
