develop a solution to a specific ethical delimma faced by healthcare professionals by applying ethical principles

Case Study: Conscientious Objection and Professional
Responsibility
Nurse Amelia Brooks, a dedicated and experienced nurse at Riverside Medical Center, has
always been known for her commitment to patient care. However, she finds herself in a moral
quandary when Dr. Rebecca Martin, the leading obstetrician at the center, asks her to assist in
an elective abortion procedure for a patient named Sophie Turner, a 24-year-old graduate
student.
Amelia holds strong personal beliefs against abortion due to her religious upbringing. She feels
that participating in the procedure would violate her conscience and deeply held moral
convictions. However, she also recognizes her professional responsibility to provide care
without discrimination and to prioritize the well-being and autonomy of her patients.
The principle of autonomy emphasizes the importance of individual choice and freedom. In this
context, it applies both to Sophie’s right to make decisions about her own body and to Amelia’s
right to act in line with her personal beliefs. The principle of professional responsibility, on the
other hand, underscores Amelia’s duty to provide care and uphold the standards of her
profession. Balancing these principles is the concept of non-maleficence, which emphasizes the
commitment to “do no harm.” Amelia grapples with what “harm” means in this context: harm to
the patient by potentially denying care or harm to herself by violating her conscience.