HPPA 514 – Bio Ethics

Anthony Guan

Reflective Essay

 

PA with ComPAssion

 

I will first discuss why I chose to be a Physician Assistant, and then discuss what aspects of practice are important to me and how they would guide me, as supported by ethical principles of beneficence and dignity in my decision-making during clinical practice.

In reflecting on the experiences that have been most meaningful in my life, two broad themes repeat themselves: service and a love of learning. The culmination of this reflecting brings me to the point I am today, pursuing a career as a physician assistant. Working, volunteering in hospitals and doing a post-baccalaureate in pre-health, exposed me to the wide array of healthcare careers. But it was not until I shadowed PAs that I found the career that resonated in every respect. I learned the true scope of the PA’s abilities and skills, and the impact PAs have on their patients, their team and the healthcare system. I found that their work allows them to have that personal/professional relationship with patients, and saw how it improves patient care. I appreciate that PAs work on teams, yet operate autonomously in collaboration with their supervising physicians. I love to try new things and learn new skills, so having the opportunity to change specialties aligns with my personality. Additionally PAs spend time educating their patients, an aspect of the job I look forward to.

Although the journey is long and arduous, I envision my clinical practice to maintain certain characteristics that I value. These vital characteristics embrace service to and empowerment of patients, while being compassionate. These characteristics are important to me because, in pursing healthcare means a duty to serve others and approach care in a patient-centered way. That is, to become an outstanding PA, one should treat the patient’s interest equally and effectively with great compassion.

Beneficence defined by Yeo et al. is described as the orientation towards the good of the patient, or promoting someone’s welfare with beneficial intentions and outcomes while preventing or reducing harm[1]. In healthcare the act of beneficence involves the clinician and patient. Patients are usually ill and seeking medical assistance, which creates a service needed and fulfilled by moral obligation of the clinician to provide care that benefits patients more than harms them. By wanting to serve through diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and such one must always be compassionate. Furthermore to be compassionate, means to be caring about and/or for the patient, and as clinicians to accomplish this we act in the patient’s best interest regarding their entire health. Health is defined in a variety of ways, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.¹” Therefore in maintaining a compassionate patient centered focus to be beneficent, would be to support and treat them so as to empower them in their everyday lives. Another component associated with beneficence is nonmaleficence, or to do no harm¹, since a benefit can be taking away or preventing harm, or acting to produce a good outcome. Being compassionate also means that you can be at odds with self-concern, or caring for oneself but the desire to serve is rooted in beneficence and goes beyond, because one can feel gratification by producing a good outcome and empowering our patients.

Dignity is to recognize a patient’s worth and the patient’s recognition of their own worth[2]. As a PA we serve patients everyday, and as such should recognize and respect their dignity as humans. To serve patients effectively is to respect their values, privacy, and acknowledge them as moral beings with decision making rights. The compassion that one shows is to understand the suffering of another, by taking the time to listen, comfort, and allow for question-asking. By addressing patients directly and putting myself in their shoes, that allows me to get a better understanding of their frame of mind/perspective and that is how to practice with compassion. Through my service, behavior, and conversation with patients to provide information regarding their health and treatment options, I can empower my patients to increase their sense of self worth and independence.

I provided two arguments to support how the desire to serve with compassion, and empowering patients would be influential in my future clinical practice. These aspects are reinforced by the ethical principles of beneficence and dignity to guide me in practice and decision making.

 

[1] 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.

[2] Chochinov, M et al. (2018). The Model In Detail | Dignity in Care. Retrieved from http://www.dignityincare.ca/en/the-model-in-detail.html#model