Reflective Essay

This essay will show how the patient-practitioner relationship, is supported by the ethical principles of truthfulness and beneficence.

Although I’ve always wanted to work in the medical field, my three years working at a group home for sick children, solidified my decision to become a PA. While devoted to the group home, I considered myself a parent to those children. I was the one to bathe them, feed them, and administer their medications. Naturally, when one of the little girls was fighting an infection, I was the one that sat by her hospital bed for the duration of her six-month stay. Over the course of her hospital visit, the medical staff that took the time to get to know her favorite songs and made the effort to connect with her personally, stick out in my mind. It was those connections that I credit for her miraculous recovery. That is why I made the decision to become a PA. To me, it means connecting with patients, as well as caring for them. I love the art of medicine, just as much as I love getting to know the people behind the symptoms.

The physician assistant-patient relationship is one particular aspect of clinical practice that I anticipate being of immense value to me. Patients are more than just symptoms, they are complex individuals with personalities, concerns, and eccentricities. Building a rapport with a patient, and getting to know them as people, is vital. It would allow me as a PA, to personalize the care I provide based on a patient’s specific characteristics and needs. This is essential to a more holistic and effective treatment.

There are two ethical principles that I expect will guide me in my future practice, one of them being beneficence. Beneficence refers to acting in a way that advances another individuals interest or good (Yeo et al p.103). As a PA, I would be entering the profession with an intention to do good on behalf of my patients. In order to do this to the fullest extent possible, I would need to develop a relationship with my patients founded upon the desire to aid them. This includes another aspect of care related to beneficence; the alleviation or removal of harm or pain from the patient. A significant aspect of healthcare involves being in touch with your patient and their various needs. Over the course their career, a PA will encounter patients that will need many different types of treatment. Some will require preventative care, some treatment, while still others will simply require the removal of pain. Being able to differentiate between the different needs of various patients requires the foundation of a trusting relationship. Additionally, if a patient senses that a PA is motivated by more than pecuniary gain and truly wants what is best for them, they are more likely to be receptive to the PA’s recommendations. This would foster a more positive and productive relationship between the patient and provider, leading to the greatest amount of benefit to the patient.

The second ethical principal that I presume will play a large role in my practice, is truthfulness. Truthfulness in regard to the medical profession, can refer to two-way practice designed to inform the patient of the facts pertaining to their condition, while maintaining a level of sensitivity (Surbone, p.944). Truthfulness involves more than just full disclosure. The facts being presented to the patient need to be sufficiently comprehensive. Meaning, the manner in which the patient is understanding the information being told to them must be in line with reality. When done correctly, truthfulness can enhance the patient-practitioner relationship and foster the patient’s confidence in their provider. Alternatively, if a patient feels that their provider is withholding information from them, they will begin to lose trust in them, and a disconnect between provider and patient will begin to form. Without mutual trust, the relationship will no longer be symbiotic. The patient will become less likely to follow the PA’s recommendations, which will ultimately result in negative outcomes for the patient. I believe that being honest and transparent with a patient is necessary in order to foster the trust required to efficiently provide health care.

This essay utilized the ethical principles of beneficence and truthfulness to support the practitioner-patient relationship as a guide to clinical practice as a PA.

References

Surbone, A. (2006). Telling the Truth to Patients with Cancer: What is the Truth? Lancet Oncology. 7, 944-950

Yeo, M. and Moorhouse, A. (2010). Beneficence. Concepts and Cases in Nursing Ethics. 103-117

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