Week 7 Assignment: The Ethics of Triage
Step 1: Read the following Background:
You are a nurse in a Third World country in a small village of 150 people (adults and children – roughly equal in numbers). There is an outbreak of a deadly infection which is easily treated with a specific antibiotic. Untreated, the mortality rate is close to 100%. However, you only have enough to treat 25 adults or 50 children. Additional dosages are on their way but are not expected to arrive before the disease will run its course. Note that anyone over 11 is considered an adult and you are in as much danger from the infection as everyone else.
Step 2: In a 500+ word paper discuss the following:
What do you do? What is the ethical approach in this situation? How do you treat the community knowing that you may have to watch some die while you reserve treatment for specific individuals?
You MUST choose an action. If you waffle or refuse to state who gets treated and why, you will receive a for this assignment. The same is true if you write about this issue as if it is matter of vaccination rather than treatment!
Be specific and give examples, using at least two outside references, to buttress your argument.
Cite all sources in APA format.
Step 3: When you have completed your assignment, save a copy for yourself in an easily accessible place and submit a copy to your instructor.
