Practice QUIZ

1. Practice QUIZ Rels 300 / Nurs 330 3 October 2013

2. CASE STUDY A couple from Malta travel to England for a complicated delivery of their Siamese twin daughters. Jodie and Mary were born on August 8, 2000, joined at the abdomen and with a fused spine. Doctors soon determined that unless the twins were surgically separated both would die. Mary, the weaker twin, whose brain was underdeveloped, would never be able to survive separated from Jodie. Jodie, who was strong and alert, had an 80-90% chance of dying if surgery was not performed. She had a good chance of surviving in the event of surgery, although, in all likelihood she would be severely handicapped and need medical attention throughout her life. In similar cases in the past, the surviving twin has sometimes died within six months of surgery. In other cases neither twin survives. The medical team at St Mary's Hospital, to which the twins were taken, had never done a successful separation of Siamese twins. When the medical team suggests surgical separation, the Parents, who were Roman Catholic, refuse on religious and moral grounds to give their consent.

3. Here are the questions • Imagine that you are the head of pediatric surgery at the hospital, and you intend to recommend to the parents that Mary and Jodie should be surgically separated. Choose one moral theory and use it to outline your argument that the best choice is surgical separation. • Imagine that you are Mary and Jodie’s parents. Explain to the surgeon why you are not willing to consent to an operation to separate the twins. What moral theory will you use for your reasoning? • If you were a neo-natal intensive care nurse, what course of action would you support? Choose a moral theory and use it to support your decision. • Finally, imagine that the hospital consults their clinical ethicist for assistance. She uses the principles of health care ethics to facilitate further discussion. What will she recommend?

4. Instructions • you may use only one moral theory for each question • no moral theory may be used more than once • plan out your answers for the 1st 3 questions so that you can identify a suitable moral theory for the specific person(s) you are asked to represent • question #4 asks you to use the principles of bioethics instead of any one moral theory; you must make a recommendation for action

5. Here are the questions • Imagine that you are the head of pediatric surgery at the hospital, and you intend to recommend to the parents that Mary and Jodie should be surgically separated. Choose one moral theory and use it to outline your argument that the best choice is surgical separation. • Imagine that you are Mary and Jodie’s parents. Explain to the surgeon why you are not willing to consent to an operation to separate the twins. What moral theory will you use for your reasoning? • If you were a neo-natal intensive care nurse, what course of action would you support? Choose a moral theory and use it to support your decision. • Finally, imagine that the hospital consults their clinical ethicist for assistance. She uses the principles of health care ethics to facilitate further discussion. What will she recommend?