LICEO DE CAGAYAN

UNIVERSITY
4TH Floor, Academia Building, Paseo del Rio Campus,
Rotonda Circle
Macasandig, Cagayan de Oro City

COLLEGE OF NURSING

BIOETHICS PRELIM EXAM

1. Consider the case below from the position of act of utilitarianism and create a pleasure-gained and
pain-avoided list to see if you can determine whether Mr. Lee should continue to quit smoking.

Mr. Lee is a 78-year-old chronic pulmonary disease patient (emphysema) who has smoked two
packs a day for 40 years. He takes great enjoyment and satisfaction in smoking and does not want
to quit. In that his illness is exacerbated by smoking, his physician is demanding that he quit. Each
time he tries to quit smoking, he. Becomes irritable and unhappy. His wife and family hate it when
he is not smoking because he becomes difficult to live with.
PLEASURE-GAINED PAIN-AVOIDED

 Mr. Lee’s life expectancy will be extended and
his medical complications from smoking will
be reduced if he stops smoking.
 Mr. Lee’s family will feel satisfied and
appreciated for assisting him in quitting
smoking if he succeeds.
 Mr. Lee's family will no longer be exposed to
the health risks of secondhand smoke if he
quits smoking.
 Mr. Lee may be avoiding the physical pain
and side effects of quitting smoking, such as
mood deterioration, anxiety, and weight gain,
by continuing to smoke.
 Mr. Lee may misbehave with his family if he
stops smoking. His family is avoiding the pain
of his misbehavior by continuing to smoke.
 Mr. Lee may be avoiding the restlessness that
comes with quitting smoking by continuing to
smoke.

Should Mr. Lee continue to quit smoking?

Utilitarianism helps to detect the ethics of right from wrong. It provides the greatest good for the
person. It consequences justice and values of individual rights. It promotes the overall
happiness of the individual and rejects of unhappiness in the person. Mr. Lee feels unhappy
when he tries to quit smoke. He enjoys happiness in smoking. For him, smoking is a pleasure,
the absence of pain and holding of smoking results in unhappiness and pain. But quitting
smoking will benefit the person a lot. Based on justice, quitting smoking is good for the patient
and continuity of smoking causes illness for the patient. The family members also benefit from a
smoking quit. Continuity of smoking gives temporary happiness to Mr. Lee and his family but
quitting smoking provides long term happiness and pleasure. According to utilitarianism theory,
providing the greatest benefit to the number of persons. So quit smoking benefits Mr. Lee, his
wife, family members and society.

2. Solve the problem using the duty-oriented theory.

You, Donna and Luis are working the night shift. Donna and Luis are good friends, with their
friendship going back to their primary school years. While the station is not busy, Donna and Luis
played around to fight the boredom, Donna inadvertently bumps an equipment and breaks it. In
that accident, Luis and Donna asked you, as a friend, not to tell anyone it was Donna’s fault.
In the morning, the head nurse comes in and notices the broken equipment. He asked what
happened, and Donna replies, “I don’t know Sir. Someone must have bumped it or something.”
The head nurse looks at you and asks you the same question.
 I will tell the head nurse the truth that it is Donna bumped the equipment and broke it, because
in duty-oriented theory, it holds that a person should adhere strictly to a set of moral rules that
establish their personal value of what is right and wrong. I should’ve reminded them at first that it
is not ethical to play in our workplace because as nurses we should do our best to make our
patients safe at all times and we should be reminded at all times to be professional.

3. Read the situation below and answer the questions

This situation is situated in a fantasy 300-bed tertiary hospital in Cagayan de Oro City during the
Sendong incident. The hospital had an emergency plan to assure adequate staffing during
typhoons. The nursing office created a three-level nursing response team. The nurses assigned to
level 1 and 2 were considered first responders and were expected to report before the arrival of the
storm and remain for 12 hours after its departure.

During this time, the hospital would be on lockdown where no employees were allowed to leave or
enter the facility regardless of their shift assignments, Once the lockdown phase has ended,
nurses assigned to level 3 would take over and provide relief for level 1 and 2.

Jackson being an employee in this hospital enlisted himself as a level 3 relief nurse because his
mother is an insulin-dependent diabetic who has a strict dietary, medication and exercise regimen.

While preparing for evacuation, Jackson received a call from his friend, a fellow nurse assigned as
a level 2 nurse. He requested that Jackson drop by his house and bring some necessary
medications and toiletries he forgot to bring with him to the hospital. Jackson agreed and picked up
the requested items and dropped them off in the hospital.

When Jackson arrived at the hospital, everything changed. More than half of those assigned in
levels 1 and 2 have not reported to the hospital. The nurse administrator pleaded with Jackson to
stay and assist with the care of the patients; he was assured that his mother would be properly
lodged and that her needs would be cared for. Jackson and his mother agreed.

Completing a shift, Jackson faced a crisis as his mother’s blood sugars were out of control and
they could no longer rely on food or medication supply at the hospital. He approached his direct
supervisor to inform him that he has decided to take his mother from the hospital and try to get out
of the city. His direct supervisor and the chief nurse assured him once again that they would do
everything possible to take care of his mother and ordered him to remain at his post. He was also
informed that should he leave, it would constitute job abandonment and his actions will be reported
to the hospital administration.

In light of the Basic Ethical Principles:

a. Should Jackson stay or leave? Explain your answer.
Jackson should stay knowing that the situation of his mother. Sure, if they’ll leave they could
find a hospital that could provide food and medication supplies but they’ll face the risk of
being in an accident along their way of finding another hospital. So better stay since they’re
being assured by his direct supervisor.

b. If Jackson leaves, should he receive a reprimand for his decision? Potentially lose
his license? Please explain your answer.
Yes, Jackson should be reprimanded because of leaving since it’s the hospital’s decision to
put the hospital on a state of lockdown and when it’s lockdown it has protocols to be
followed. No he won’t lose his license since it’s the well-being of his mom he’s focused on
after all.

c. What should be done about the level 1 and 2 nurses who failed to report to the
hospital and assume their roles?
They should also be reprimanded and should be questioned since they failed to report to
the hospital and assume their roles because not coming at your station during duty hours
is a kind of neglect, you should receive a wage deduction. The next time the level 1 and 2
nurses fail to show up at their assigned post, they will be suspended.