PSYC FPX 4210 Assessment 5: Applying Ethical Principles | Final Capella Guide

Applying Ethical Principles in Systemic Clinical Practice

Introduction to Senior Ethical Leadership

As the final step in professional training for nurses and psychologists, Applying Ethical Principles goes beyond one-on-one interactions and into the world of systemic leadership. Senior practitioners are responsible for making sure that the organizations they work for follow the highest moral standards, even when they are under pressure from money or politics. This evaluation examines a multifaceted scenario concerning an urban hospital’s choice to adopt a predictive algorithm for organ transplant waitlists, investigating the ethical ramifications of data bias, social justice, and professional integrity.

PSYC FPX 4210 Assessment 5:Identification of the Systemic Ethical Dilemma

The main problem in this situation is the conflict between Justice and Non-maleficence. The predictive algorithm aims to enhance “efficiency” and “success rates” (an institutional advantage); however, it inadvertently disadvantages patients from lower socioeconomic strata who lack stable housing or transportation—elements that the AI perceives as “risk.” When applying ethical principles to this systemic problem, the practitioner needs to decide if the benefits of technology outweigh the harm it does to vulnerable groups.

Applying Ethical Principles: The Pillars of Bioethics

The framework for this analysis relies on the four primary pillars of bioethics:

• Autonomy: Ensuring patients are fully informed about how their data is used to determine their place on a waitlist.
• Beneficence: The institutional goal of maximizing successful transplant outcomes.
• Non-maleficence: Avoiding the “harm” of systemic discrimination and the loss of life resulting from biased technology.
• Justice: The ethical requirement that healthcare resources be distributed equitably, regardless of a patient’s social status.

Comparison of Ethical Theories: Theoretical Justification

A critical component of Applying Ethical Principles at the 4210 level is a sophisticated theoretical comparison:

1. Deontological Analysis (Duty-Based Ethics)

A Deontologist, adhering to Kantian Ethics, would assert that the practitioner possesses a “absolute duty” to safeguard the dignity of each individual patient. Using a patient as a “data point” to measure efficiency is against the categorical imperative in this framework. The morality of the action is determined by the fairness of the process rather than the clinical success rate.

2. Utilitarian Analysis (Consequence-Based Ethics)

A Utilitarian looks at the end result. They might say that the algorithm does the “greatest good” if it leads to more successful transplants overall. A “Rule Utilitarian,” on the other hand, would say that if people lose faith in the fairness of organ allocation, the whole transplant system could fall apart because there wouldn’t be enough donors. This would be a terrible “negative utility.”

Proposed Resolution and Justification

The suggested solution includes a “Ethical Algorithm Audit” and the use of a “Ethical Algorithm Override.” The practitioner should use ethical principles to lead a team of people from different fields to retrain the AI to take into account systemic barriers. This path fulfills Justice by guaranteeing equity and Beneficence by sustaining elevated success rates through supported care. The APA Standard 1.03 says that professionals must resolve conflicts between ethical obligations and organizational demands. This is why this decision is correct.

Conclusion and Professional Reflection

To use ethical principles at the capstone level, you need to be brave enough to question the way things are done in the institution. As we move into full practice, it’s our job as ethical leaders to make sure that healthcare stays focused on people and that technology and policy serve the patient, not the other way around.