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History of European Cars
History of European Cars
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Introduction
The need to enhance mobility, the human race dates back in historical times. Tradition a communities employed animals in enhancement of transportation of animals, human and goods. This movement was important as it not only saved time but it also enabled relative transactions to be carried out accordingly. In addition, it eased the burden that humans were expected to endure in transporting goods that had substantial weight. It can not be disputed that the invention of automobiles has generated significant benefits to the population in general. During the early times, this was considered a form of prestige and the automobile were entirely employed by the nobility in the society. Notably, this norm has also been perpetuated in the modern society as the value of the car that one drives is a direct reflection of the social class of an individual. Thus automobiles are a representation of prestige as well as class in the society.
Since its invention, the automobile has undergone various changes that reflect the dynamic needs of the population. Globalization can be implicated for the initiation of dynamism in the consumer fraternity. Manufactures on the other hand have responded to this positively and increasingly, the features of different cars are being personalized to meet the specific needs of the population. Likewise, different designs have also been developed to address the changing g functional value of the cars. Furthermore, it is worth noting that various manufacturing companies have emerged and competition is seemingly high. This is of paramount importance as it plays a critical role of keeping the quality of the products in check Thus it is beneficial to the consumers as the same have their diverse needs mainstreamed in the designs by manufactures accordingly. It is against this background that this paper provides an intrinsic review of the historic background of cars in Europe. In order to enhance a harmonic consideration, it will later review the history of car manufacturing in the region and underscore the underlying trends in the same.
History of Automobiles
Historical evidence indicates that the invention of the automobile industry can be traced back to 1769. This marked the beginning of major developments and the first machine to be created was the steam powered automobile. Generally Holt ascertains that the invention of this important machine is attributable to various individuals with the pioneers being Isaac Newton and Leonardo de Vinci (45). Steam powered automobiles were essentially employed in the transportation of humans. Mechanic Joseph Cugot has been cited as the first individual who made significant developments to this first machine. In particular, he employed the steam engine power in his machine and propelled movement. It had only three wheels and was initially employed by the French army in its operations. It had a speed of close to twenty one meters per hour. Considering that the power of this vehicle was not consistent, Banting ascertained that it made regular stops to build up the required power (13). The steam boiler that was responsible for providing the essential power was situated separately and specifically in front of the vehicle’s body.
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Adapted From: Corbett’s The History of Cars, p. 59
The steam engines were made of simple technology and power w as derived by heating the water that was placed in the boilers. The expansion of the resultant steam made the turning of the crankshaft possible and in return, it turned the wheels and made movement possible. This early invention was important t because of the fact that it triggered the development of rail and road that was imperative for movement of goods and people. At this point Glancey cites that Cugnot also invented two locomotives that also depended on steam power. However, their functioning was not successful like that of the automotives. One disadvantage of the steam locomotives was the fact that it added significant weight to the vehicles that made the same unsuitable to be employed on road transport. Generally, historical studies accredit Nicholas Cognut for the invention of the automobile.
The automobiles that were powered by steam engines prompted the invention and development of the electric engines that further improved the mode of transport as well as its relative speed. These were invented between 1832 and 1839 by Robert Anderson (Berger, 67). These were powered by rechargeable batteries and likewise, they were cumbersome to use because of the need for frequent recharging. It is indicated that despite being an important invention in this regard, the electric cars were limited by their low speed, increased weight and by the fact that they were very expensive. Seemingly, they could only be effectively employed in areas where the supply of electricity was constant. This was undesirable because then a very low percentage of the population had unlimited access to consistent electric power.
The other engine whose development was of great importance during this particular period was the combustion engine. Koshar defines an internal combustion engine as one that employs the explosive combustion of a particular type of fuel in pushing the piston that is found within the respective engine (143). This has a push effect on the crankshaft that then makes the wheels of the automobile to turn. This requires the use of different types of fuels that range from kerosene to diesel and gasoline. In his review, Chaney indicates that use of this particular engine during the early periods of the invention of the automobile was greatly limited by the lack of viable fuels (6). In particular, it is indicated that the liquid fuels were very scarce. As such, respective persons improvised the gas mixtures to run the automobiles. The experiments that employed gases began operating in 1806 and the main gases used were a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen.
From the preceding analysis, it can be noted that the early efforts towards developing an effective auto mobile was hampered by various factors. Indeed, the heavy weight of the steam engine made them unsuitable for the roads that were employed for transport during that particular time. In addition, both the steam and electric engines were cumbersome to use because they required constant recharge. Thus an individual could not travel for more than twenty minutes before stopping to recharge the engine. Notably, the internal combustion engine offered a viable option in this regard as it was less tiresome to use. Nonetheless, this was also limited by lack of liquid fusels that were to be employed in providing the power. At this juncture, it can be ascertained that the use of gases in providing fuel provided a viable approach to addressing the inherent problems.
Mass production of vehicles began in the 1900s in the United States and France. Holt indicates that Panhard et Levassor in France was the first company to engage in production of vehicles on a large scale basis (63). It also made various inventions and is credited for introducing the four cylinder engines. Peugeot Company was the second to engage in mass production of vehicles in the year 1902. It is ascertained that mass production of vehicles in Western Europe at this particular time was increasingly taking root and a total of 30204 vehicles were produced in 1903 alone (Eckermann 12). This represented almost half of the vehicles that were produced on a global scale in that particular year. Duryea Motor Wagon company in the United State was established in the year 1893 and is posited to have been the first automobile manufacturing company in the United States. It assumed mass production in the year 1902. Other manufacturing companies such as Ford, Winton and Cadillac in the United States also started mass production operations during the early 1900s and produced thousands of cars on an annual basis.
The increasing number of manufactures in this field of specification triggered competition that led to the employment of an assortment of technologies. These enhanced the quality of cars that were being produced during this time. The most commonly employed engines were the steam, petrol or gasoline and the electricity engines. However, Corbett ascertains that the gasoline or electric powered engines dominated the market as they were relatively easier to use than the former (82).
The in the production of automobiles had various implications on different economic sectors. In particular, it is cited that this boosted the production of gasoline and petroleum that was employed in powering the same. Furthermore, Leous notes that this led to the emergence of relative technologies that were employed in replacement of kerosene and coal. Other products such as lubricants were also invented and mineral oil replaced the vegetable oils that were employed previously. Various engines were invented and discarded accordingly in a bit to come up with a viable engine that would cater for the emergent needs of the population. The social sphere was also affected by the manufacture of these cars. In this respect, Cornely ascertains that music systems were fitted in the cars and this made it possible for the users to be entertained when driving (73). In addition, it is worth acknowledging that there were no standard controls with regard to manufacturing and therefore manufactures adopted different types of designs during the construction of the bodies of the vehicles.
The automobiles during this time were valued in terms of novelty rather than in their functional terms. In other words, they were considered a tool for prestige and not a functional tool that could be employed to carryout different functions. This was contributed to by various factors that ranged from frequent breakdowns to limited access to sufficient amounts of fuels to run the engines and lack of suitable roads to be employed in transport. Thus regardless of the increased production as well as invention of cars between 1900 and 1920, they were worthless and did not help the populations in any way.
The period between 1900 and 1930 was also commonly referred to as the brass period because of the fact that brass metal was commonly employed in manufacture of the automobiles. The First World War is cited to have had significant effects on the sales of the automobiles too. During this period, it is also indicated that he designs of the cars and the testing of the engines underwent dynamic changes. In particular, the licensing of Panhard et Levassor company led to the standardization of the structure and design of the automobiles. This was characterized by combustion engines, front engines and sliding gear transmission. It culminated in the abandonment of conventional couch styled vehicles that had been employed in the past. Because the relative bodies were less expensive, they reduced the prices of the vehicles and increased sales. According to Halberstam, the various rapid automotive inventions were pursued during this particular period of time (32).
After the end of the First World War, there were different developments in this regard too. To begin with, Holt asserts that the front engine automobiles were commonly employed and therefore dominated the market. There was the introduction of standard norms that were employed in the structure and manufacture of the cars. In particular, it is indicated that cars during this time were expected to have closed bodies as opposed to open ones. There were inherent improvements in the combustion engine that culminated in the development of the renowned overhead camshaft as well as the multi-valve engines. The invention of important parts of the vehicles such as the hydraulic brakes also took place during this particular time and improved the quality of services rendered by the same significantly. Other inventions in this respect included the automatic transmission that was comprised of the lock-up clutch, planetary gearbox and other important features. In 1940, tempered glass was invented and employed in the manufacture of vehicles in France. It should be appreciated that this feature was very important and it is still employed in the manufacture of vehicles to date.
In his consultative research, Berger indicated that the great depression that began in 1930 also initiated certain changes in the car industry. In particular, the integrated fenders as well as fully closed bodies on vehicles dominated the market and were preferred by the then population. Other features such as the running boards, wings and headlights were incorporated in the designs and the previous phaetons, runabouts and the popular touring cars were gradually phased out. It is contended that during this era, most of the modern attributes of the different types of cars were invented and even previous inventions such as the front wheel reintroduced. Holt asserts that the relative developments were imperative because they marked an era of increased maturity as varied and multiple features were consolidated to come up with an ideal model (73).
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The cars underwent significant Changes. Adapted from: Holts The Influence of the Automobile on Europe, p. 112.
Further developments were experienced during the post war period as different features were incorporated to come up with an end product of the highest degree of quality. Developments such as the introduction of the compression V8 engines can be posited to have improved the quality of the vehicles significantly. In addition, it is indicated that it is during this period that modern bodies were introduced in the market. With regard to the speed of the cars, Glancey affirms that the speed of vehicles increased during this period and the designs came in different colors that were in line with the consumer preferences (54). The concept of luxury was redefined and mainstreamed in the manufacture of the vehicles too.
It is ascertained that competition was an inherent feature of the then market and that it led to improvement of quality. The United States is cited to have been at the fore front of producing high quality products that superseded those provided by other nations. Moreover, the then emergent economies also participated actively in auto manufacturing and assumed an elevated niche in this regard. Amalgamated manufacturing companies consolidated the market and hence derived huge profits from the sale of the cars. Of great reference is the fact that marketing was adopted by various manufacturing companies and was effective in significantly improving the sales of the same. This new approach was geared towards informing the public about the available auto products and persuading the same to make purchases accordingly.
The era of the oil crisis in the 1970s had adverse effects on this trend as it significantly reduced the sales. Koshar argues that the worst hit nation was the United States as it entirely depended on the Middle East for its sources of oil as well as the relative products (146). Coupled with the emergent emission regulations, the oil crisis is blamed for stagnating the innovation and invention of auto machine in the United States. The consumer preferences also shifted and consumers increasingly preferred the small performance cars that were manufactured by companies such as Toyota, Nissan and BMW. This disadvantaged the big engine products from Italy and America and impacted negatively on their performance in the market. Further, Wollen and Kerr affirmed that there was also a shift in the use of fuel as preferences shifted to employment of fuel injection, independent suspensions and an increased focus on the design of the vehicle and safety of the users.
The modern era has also incorporated various changes in the design of the auto industry. Essentially, this comprises the period between 1985 to date. In his research, Holt asserts that the technical aspects and design of the products has particularly been affected by the inherent changes (98). It is indicated that emphasis is increasingly being placed on concepts of plat form sharing, initiation and enforcement of standardization and controls and finally, incorporating computer aided design in the manufacturing of the cars. Advances in this respect range from the employment of the diesel engine, all wheel drive to the use of front wheel drive. It is worth acknowledging these designs were initiated in the 1960s but have gained prominence in the modern times. Other developments in this regard pertain to significant changes in the shapes of the bodies and the incorporation of the elements of luxury in the design of the cars.
Furthermore, various forces such as the need to enhance environmental conservation and the depletion of the natural resource base have directed the focus towards the need to increase fuel efficiency. In this regard, it should be appreciated that such aspects as environmental conservation are very important because of the fact that they influence the attitudes and purchasing power of the consumers. Generally, it can be contended that the efficiency of the engines and the enhancement of the models of the cars has greatly been improved by the modern developments.
From the preceding analysis, it is certain that the historical development of cars has undergone various changes since the initiation of the concept of the engine in 1869. These have been influenced by the changes in consumer preferences and the invention and innovation of relative technology. During early times, it is certain that cars were used as tools for novelty. This changed during the middle ages as they became more functional. Currently, luxury is an intrinsic aspect that is greatly emphasized on during the modern times.
History of European Car Makers
The manufacturing of cars in Europe dates back to historical times and as it has come out from the preceding study, Western Europe has been cited to have pioneered the development of mass production of the cars. There are various car manufacturing companies in Europe to date. These specialize in different designs that address different consumer preferences. It is also notable that these designs have undergone various changes overtime in order to effectively address the changing needs of the consumers. Examples of these companies include BMW, Volvo, Ferrari, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, Jeep, Hyundai, Land-rover, Porsche and many more.
Also referred to as Bavarian Motor Works, BMW was founded in 1916 by Franz Josef. It is physically located in Germany and it deals with the manufacture of automobiles, motorcycles and bicycles. Holt asserts that this is popular for its tendency to ensure high performance and incorporate the important concept of luxury in the same. It has established its operations in five main countries and serves a population of close to 1,439,918 persons per year. Its subsidiaries are found in Austria, United Kingdom, USA and South Africa.
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Logo, BMW from: HYPERLINK “http://links.org.au/node/423” http://links.org.au/node/423
Volvo on the other hand specializes in commercial vehicles and it was founded in 1927. Other products that it provides on the market include construction equipment, aerospace components, industrial power systems, marine systems and financial services. It serves a global population and its headquarters are situated in Sweden. In development of cars, it lays great emphasis on the ability to withstand extreme weather as well as rough roads and terrain. It is a company that has undergone a series of changes through time with the most profound being the division of the company with Ford.
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Volvo Logo, Adapted from: HYPERLINK “http://links.org.au/node/423” http://links.org.au/node/423
Peugeot is a French based company that is considered the second largest auto manufacturing company in the entire Europe. It was initially founded in 1810 under the status of a coffee meal but different developments saw it assume the status of a separate company in the year 1926. Its physical location is in France and it specializes in auto manufacture as well as the manufacture of trucks, bicycles and motorcycles. Over time, it has developed different models that reflect different consumer preferences. It serves the global population and it is certain that it derives immense profits from the same.
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Peugeot Emblem, Adapted from, http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/automobile.htm
The Mercedes Benz Company is also very prominent in auto manufacturing and it specializes in cars, vans, trucks, buses and luxury cars. It lays great emphasis on the end product and ensures that this is of very high quality. It is indicated that this has enabled it to be considered one of the top manufactures around the globe. It was initiated by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler in the 1880s. Its physical location is in Germany and its serves a global population.
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The Mercedes-Benz SLR, Adapted From: www. Mercedes-Benz History.htm
Conclusion
The need to enhance mobility can be considered to be a major driving force behind the initiation and manufacture of the automobiles. This concept is ingrained in the conventional need to enhance the transportation of goods as well as products. As it has come out from the study, it can not be disputed that the auto industry has undergone various developments through time. The early invention of the steam engine formed the basement upon which the development of the auto industry was based. Currently various companies have emerged and the play a leading role in enhancing the quality of relative services by addressing the specific needs of the populations. This is achieved through the adoption of designs that are in line with the interests and preferences of the customers. It is in this consideration that this paper concludes by ascertaining that the auto industry has had a significant effect on the holistic welfare of humans.
Works Cited
David, Corbett. The History of Cars. USA: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2005.
David, Halberstam. The Reckoning. USA :Morrow, 1986.
Erik Eckermann. History of Automobiles. SAE Press (2001): p. 11-4.
Erinn, Banting. Inventing the Automobile. USA: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2006.
Gottlieb, Daimler & Karl Benz. Automobile. Retrieved, 8th March, 2010 from: http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/automobile.htm
Gus, Leous. History of Automobiles. Retrieved, 8th March, 2010 from: HYPERLINK “http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/history_of_automobiles_peugeot/” http://www.newsfinder.org/site/more/history_of_automobiles_peugeot/
Jonathan, Glancey. A History of Automobile. USA: Carlton Publishing, 2008.
Kay Holt. The Influence of the Automobile on Europe. New York: Crown Publishers, 1997.
Michael, Berger. Automobile Industry in America. USA: Greenwood Publishing, 2001.
Peter, Wollen & Joe Kerr. (eds). Cars and Culture. London: Reaktion, 2002.
Raymond, Chaney. Racetrack to Highways. The Journal of San Diego History, 2 (1971): 3-17.
Rob, Rooke. A brief History of the Automobile. Retrieved, 8th March, 2010 from: HYPERLINK “http://links.org.au/node/423” http://links.org.au/node/423
Robyn, Cornely. The Automobile. USA: Children’s Press, 2005.
Rudy, Koshar. History of Automobile in Everyday Life. Contemporary European History, 10 (2001): 142-55.
NUR 3020 Transition to Professional Practice
NUR 3020 Transition to Professional Practice
Assignment 2 – case study analysis
Introduction
Healthcare professionals are constantly confronted with situations in which they have to make decisions with legal and ethical ramifications. They are constantly confronted various options to choose from, leading to dilemma (Dierckx de Casterle, et al, 2008, p. 540). The choices made by a health professional may lead to conflict with the decisions of others in the same team. This paper presents an analysis of a case in which medical professions are confronted with a situation in which they are required to make crucial ethical decisions regarding the treatment of a patient.
Problems identified in the case study
Ethical Issues Concern regarding infliction of harm on patients
Concern regarding acts of disrespect for the rights of patients This is evidenced by the conflict regarding the appropriate treatment to be provided to Emily.
This is evidenced by the extent of care and support provided to Emily by Sue. .
Legal issues lack of documentation
disregard for psychosocial aspects of care
Withholding of treatment
disregard for physical aspects of care There lacks specific documentation of patient’s stages of illness
The is limited attention to emotional aspects of end-of-life care evidenced by lack of communication of patient’s health status with patient and family members
Medical tests on patients health condition are delayed
There lacks close and detailed attention to symptoms recognition and management
Adherence to the Fundamental Ethical principles
Principle Explanation
Autonomy Autonomy implies the ability to make own decisions without infringement or coercion from others to make those decisions. According to this principle, every patient has a right to choose or refuse treatment. In order to make an informed decision, this principle requires that a patient be provided with complete, understandable and accurate information on the benefits and risks of the available options of treatment (Woodward, 1998, p. 1049).
In this case, it is evident that Sue bleached this principle by failing to provide Emily with such information. She decided to treat her with painkillers and never took time to listen to what she wanted. That way, she bleached the principle of Autonomy.
Beneficence This is a principle that requires medical practitioners to act in the best interest of patients. In order to make informed decisions and choices regarding care and treatment, patients require specialized information that may be beyond their understanding and thus, they may require guidance. Medical practitioners have a moral obligation to weigh the benefits of the consequences of their decisions and those of patients against the possible costs and harms (Woodward, 1998, p. 1050). The patients should then be adequately informed and be assisted to make choices that do not adversely affect their well being.
Evidently, Sue did not act in the best interest of Emily in this case. After realizing that her temperature and pulse rate had risen, she advised Ben to giver her Panadol, a pain killer. She excused herself as being too busy to be able to make further examinations. Despite Emily’s deteriorating health condition, Sue did not take steps to inform June or the Doctor. She dismissed her as being suffering from cold. Only after Doctor’s examination that it was realized that Emily was diagnosed with urinary track infection and Septicaemia. Generally, it is clear that Sue failed to act in the best interest of Emily and thus, violated the medical principle of beneficence.
Non-maleficence This principle is embodied by the phrase ‘first, do no harm.’ This implies that it is more important not to harm a patient than to good to them. Medical personnel may sometimes be tempted to apply treatments that they think will do good to patients without evaluating them first to ensure that the treatments do not harm them. As Ferrell et al, (2001, p. 117) explains, prescribing treatment to patients without evaluating them first is ruinous to them. Sue violated this principle by assuming that Emily was suffering from cold and then prescribed Panadol, a pain killer to her. The painkillers were difficult for Emily to swallow and could harm her.
Confidentiality This principle requires medical personnel to maintain confidentiality about all patient information. Unnecessary or inappropriate disclosure of such information can destroy trust between patient and medical practitioner. Relevant information should only be disclosed to members of medical team who are directly involved in the care (Ferrell et al, 2001, p. 118). In this case, Emily’s illness is confidential and should not be inappropriately disclosed. Though this is not an issue in the case study, information regarding Emily’s health status should be limited to the relevant members of medical team and to the close family members.
Veracity All medical practitioners have a duty to honestly and respectfully provide patients with full information regarding their health status. Every person has a right to access information about their health status and treatment from health services in order for them to be able to play an active role in formulation of health policy. Such information should only be concealed if it is likely to lead to adverse effects on the health of a patient or the patient does not have capacity to make decisions (Ferrell et al, 2001, p. 118). Patients should also be given opportunity to share, discuss and make decisions with family members and significant others about their health. In this case, Sue did not disclose any information to Emily and her family members regarding her health status. septicaemia is a serious, life-threatening infection and leads to confusion and other changes in mental status of patients. This may have incapacitated Emily to the extent that she lacked capacity to make decisions. In that case, it was essential to consult the family members of Emily to give informed decision on behalf of Emily. However, Emily’s family members were not informed in time.
Adherence to Law and Professional nursing standards
Laws and professional nursing standards in Australia are developed by a national nursing and midwifery organization known as the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Incorporated (ANMC), in conjunction with the state organizations. The performance of medical personnel is assessed against these standards in order to obtain or retain license. Among other issues, professional standards require nurses to fulfill duty of care by performing nursing interventions in accordance with the recognized standards of practice (Dierckx de Casterle, et al, 2008, p. 541).
The standards require all licensed nurses to fulfill their duty of care by performing comprehensive and accurate assessments of patients before making any interventions. They are required to document and report complete and accurate assessments or observations of changes in a patient’s health progress. They are also required record the care provided to a patient and the patient’s response to the care. Further, the standards require every nurse to clarify their responsibility for aspects of care with the other relevant health professionals in the team. They are also required to prevent harm on patients and to adequately and accurately inform them or their family members about their health conditions progress (Dierckx de Casterle, et al, 2008, p. 541).
The law of contract, which includes negligence, imposes duty of care on medical personnel for patients since their relationship is understood to be contractual in nature. Duty of care is also a requirement under tort law, which includes trespass to persons and negligence. Climinal law also imposes the same duty and is concerned with interference with an individual’s person (Toren & Wagner 2010, p. 393).
In this case, Sue bleached the above standards by failing to conduct comprehensive and accurate assessment of symptoms of Emily’s illness. She did record observations of stages of her illness. She also failed to inform June and the Doctor regarding Emily’s deteriorating health condition. On top of that, Sue administered wrong treatment to Emily, which could cause harm. She ignored informing the family members of Emily about her health status. Generally, Sue’s conduct constitutes negligence and malpractice and may be sued in a court of law, under the aforementioned laws.
How the problem would look from another perspective
In this case, Sue believes that Emily is in the face of inevitable death given her age and thus, further medical care is futile. She believes that Emily only requires comfort and pain killer to keep her alive. The professional standards of care allow for futile medical care for patients who are in the face of inevitable death, but some guidelines are provided (Curtin, 2005). In such situation, choosing and informing the patient and the family members or significant others is not easy and may require procedure. Confidentiality should also be observed and the patient’s health status should not be inappropriately disclosed. This may justify the conduct of Sue by withholding information from the other health professionals, Emily and her family members.
Apart from Sue, there are other stakeholders who have interest to Emily’s health condition. They include Emily herself, her family members, nurses and doctors. All of them are interested to understand cause of the deteriorating health condition of Emily. Their concerns are significant since they have right to be informed. They are also legally allowed to access information about Emily’s health condition. From an ethical point of view, the conduct of Emily would be acceptable to the extent that she plan the procedure to inform other health professional involved in her care and family members.
Ethical conflicts identifiable in the case study
In the case study, June faces ethical conflict from Sue, who holds different values regarding the care and support that should be provided to Emily. As well, there is ethical conflict between Ben and Sue regarding the quality of overall care administered by Sue to Emily. There is also ethical conflict between treatment options, whether to provide Emily with medical care of futile medical care. This is brought about by the conflicting values of the care providers.
These conflicts may be resolved if all the parties involved accept to be guided by the ethical principles of nursing including beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficience, confidentiality and veracity (Toren & Wagner 2010, p. 393). These principles can guide nurse managers to make solutions when nurses collide and to ensure that the rights of patients and those of nurses are respected.
The relevant legal concepts in the case study are negligence and malpractice. These concepts are expressed by the tort law, the law of contract and in the criminal law, both at federal and state level. These laws can help nurse managers to ensure that the rights of patients to care are observed and the rights of nurses are also observed (Toren & Wagner 2010, p. 396).
Ethical-legal decisions
In the case study, the decision that needs to be made is to compel all health professionals in the nursing home to respect and conform to the ethical, legal and professional standard guidelines of medical practice (Curtin, 2005). In this case, the guidelines were balanced eventually. Sue’s conduct in her care for Emily seemed to contradict these guidelines initially but this perspective changed after it was realized that Emily has a serious disease that can lead to her death.
The first step in communicating the aforementioned decision is to ask the health team in the nursing home to reach consensus issues regarding the range of appropriate treatment. The responsible physician, in collaboration with the other health professions involved should inform the patient and the family members and then seek their wishes for treatment. They should inform the patient and family members the need for withholding or continuing with medical treatment. They should describe palliative care measures which can help in keeping the patient as comfort as possible and with dignity. The physician should then negotiate an acceptable plan of treatment with the patient and family. They should then be given chance to seek second opinion in case of need.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the case study demonstrates how health professionals are confronted with situations in which they are bound to make choices among various ethical decisions. They are faced with dilemma due to the huge impact of any decision made. Some times, they make decisions that are contrary to ethical, laws and professional standards of care. This may lead to conflicts with the stakeholders involved. In such situations the requirements of ethical legal and professional standards should prevail.
References
Curtin, L., (2005), “Patient wishes and futile interventions” Accessed 11, October 11, 2012 from
http://healthcaretraveler.modernmedicine.com/healthcaretraveler/FAQs+about+Healthcare+Travel/Patient-wishes-and-futile-interventions/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/154100
Dierckx de Casterle´, B., Izumi, S., Godfrey, N. S. & Denhaerynck, K., (2008), “Nurses’
responses to ethical dilemmas in nursing practice: meta-analysis.” Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 63 Iss. 6, Pp. 540–549
Ferrell et al, (2001), “Ethical Dilemmas in pain management,” The Journal of Pain, Vol 2, Iss. 3,
pp 171-180
Toren, O. & Wagner, N., (2010), “Applying an ethical decision-making tool to a nurse
management dilemma.” Nursing Ethics, Vol. 17. Iss. 3. Pp. 393-402
Woodward, V. M. (1998), “Caring, Patient Autonomy and the stigma of paternalism,” Journal of
advanced Nursing, Vol. 28. Iss. 5. Pp. 1046-1052
Numerous analysts and researchers have conducted copious studies on the validity of doing a perfect research
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Numerous analysts and researchers have conducted copious studies on the validity of doing a perfect research. According to Griffiths (1998, pp.97) research refers to a methodological scrutiny into various themes in the quest to devise theories and establish facts that relate to the topic under scrutiny. If these theories have to be accurately established, it is mandatory that the researcher collect data from various sources. Though perfect research entails no alterations of results collected, it has
It would not be an underestimation agreeing that conducting a perfect research is not an easy task. I base my argument three basic phenomena, first, the observation made whilst undertaking a research may be limited to only a certain scope of data mandatory for a research. The world is home to anonymous information which observation alone cannot be a source of conclusive research. Not all the information we see is real and may be a result of previous happenings. It is mandatory that a researcher is competent in literacy skills in order to ascertain if what observed is contingent to the real facts. The researcher is able to manage and organize information by the virtue of he or she being literate.
The second aspect deals with the time factor. Though most researchers have enough time and reference materials at their disposal, they are not able to conduct a meaningful research. Griffiths (1998, pp.67) argues that researchers should lay down principles that will allow them prioritize most vital issues and how to bring them out to the beneficiaries. Equipped with this information, the researcher is able to work effectively within the time limits required.
Thirdly, researchers prove unskillful in sorting out imperative information for research from the chaff. According to Pratt (2000 pp.139), majority of the researchers are not in a position to prioritize the vital information that may make research a successful endeavor. Research entails search on a closer and keener approach, which in itself means that it has some loopholes. While undertaking an inquiry the researcher needs to outline clearly, what he aims to achieve both on a long-term and short-term basis. If research has to be useful, the researcher ought to select the key points required and avoid being too wordy which inhibits validity and reliability of information researched on.
On the other hand, comprehensive research is possible if the above criteria are adhered to the letter. Since research claims a vast part in invention, researchers should not despair but carry on with conducting research, which ultimately may lead to perfection.
In conclusion, it seems completely impossible to conduct research successfully. Time spans will constantly be put in place and human nature has not known enough time since time immemorial. No researcher has ever been documented to be a perfect. All of them add up to the trial process of perfection, which is almost unmanageable. Basically, research provides training grounds for researchers and this cannot be termed as a successful endeavor.
Work cited
Griffiths (1998, pp.97) …………………………………………………………………………………………….
Pratt, J. Research and policy: a realist approach. Prospero, (2000) Vol 6 No 3 & 4, pp139-149.