Running head: BENCHMARK PATIENT SPIRITUAL NEEDS 1
Benchmark: Patient Spiritual Needs
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, BENCHMARK: PATIENT SPIRITUAL NEEDS 2
Benchmark: Patient Spiritual Needs
A patient’s spiritual needs are crucial and have an impact on a person’s ability to make
informed decisions concerning medical interventions. The faith of mike and his Christian
perspective greatly affected his decision-making capacity concerning treatment options for the 8-
year old James. His son is suffering from acute glomerulonephritis and needs a kidney transplant.
ideally, religious worldviews affect issues about rationality
Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be
irrational and harmful to James, or would that mean disrespect of a patient’s autonomy?
Two perspectives determine whether or not mike should be allowed to make irrational
choices. First of all, the physician should not interfere with the decision of mike as a parent nor
push for a kidney transplant. That is because it requires that treatment should be administered
upon the consent of the patient. In this case, James is only eight years old; hence his consent
cannot be sought. But the parent is within the jurisdiction to make informed decisions on their
behalf. Pressurizing mike may seem non-ethical and warrant professional condemnation for
violation of patient rights (Gillon, 2018). On the flip side, the decisions mike had been doing
resulted in more harm, in that the delayed dialysis deteriorated the patient’s kidney to the extent
of needing a kidney transplant. In this case, allowing mike to more unjustified and irrational
decisions would potentially lead to death. It is within the jurisdiction of the physician to inform
mike that his conclusions concerning the health of James are senseless and harmful. The
physician, therefore, has to step up and tell mike of the possible consequences of delays if they
continue to search for another kidney donor rather than allowing Samuel, who is the available
donor. The physician can use the same model in settling matters with mike concerning the best
approach suited for James, and this would not amount to disrespect to patient autonomy.
Benchmark: Patient Spiritual Needs
Name
Institutional Affiliation
, BENCHMARK: PATIENT SPIRITUAL NEEDS 2
Benchmark: Patient Spiritual Needs
A patient’s spiritual needs are crucial and have an impact on a person’s ability to make
informed decisions concerning medical interventions. The faith of mike and his Christian
perspective greatly affected his decision-making capacity concerning treatment options for the 8-
year old James. His son is suffering from acute glomerulonephritis and needs a kidney transplant.
ideally, religious worldviews affect issues about rationality
Should the physician allow Mike to continue making decisions that seem to him to be
irrational and harmful to James, or would that mean disrespect of a patient’s autonomy?
Two perspectives determine whether or not mike should be allowed to make irrational
choices. First of all, the physician should not interfere with the decision of mike as a parent nor
push for a kidney transplant. That is because it requires that treatment should be administered
upon the consent of the patient. In this case, James is only eight years old; hence his consent
cannot be sought. But the parent is within the jurisdiction to make informed decisions on their
behalf. Pressurizing mike may seem non-ethical and warrant professional condemnation for
violation of patient rights (Gillon, 2018). On the flip side, the decisions mike had been doing
resulted in more harm, in that the delayed dialysis deteriorated the patient’s kidney to the extent
of needing a kidney transplant. In this case, allowing mike to more unjustified and irrational
decisions would potentially lead to death. It is within the jurisdiction of the physician to inform
mike that his conclusions concerning the health of James are senseless and harmful. The
physician, therefore, has to step up and tell mike of the possible consequences of delays if they
continue to search for another kidney donor rather than allowing Samuel, who is the available
donor. The physician can use the same model in settling matters with mike concerning the best
approach suited for James, and this would not amount to disrespect to patient autonomy.
