Reflection Paper On Edmund Pellegrino

Stephanie Snyder

February 9, 2015

Pelligrino Reflection Paper

Medical Ethics

Professor Zola

Word Count:

Edmund Pellegrino believes in an ethical view based on virtue ethics and duty-based ethics. Pellegrino argues in “The Virtuous Physician and the Ethics of Medicine”, that there are three obligations of ethics in a medical setting. This is called the Three-Tiered System of Obligations and are as follows: (1) obedience to the law (2) the observance of moral rights and fulfillment of moral duties (3) the practice of virtue. The practice of these three things are important in avoiding unethical actions for health care professionals. Pellegrino emphasizes how important theories based on rights, duties, and virtues are to allow proper

It is extremely important that health care professionals practice virtue. Going beyond ones duties could greatly benefit the patient also making the health care provider the patient advocate. It’s important for physicians and other medical personnel to understand their duties in their profession. When they go to extreme measures to ensure the health of a patient is when this obligation is proven. As a patient you may be in a vulnerable state or may lack a clear judgment of your health. This is where the health care provider’s practice of virtue takes place. They become responsible for making your health their number one priority. In some cases, in order to do this they must exceed their basic duties to fulfill the patients’

There is always the idea that above and beyond care is not crucial to one’s health but, there are more up sides to the issue than not. A patient will most likely always gain from a physician’s practice of virtue when it comes down to their overall health. For some patients, this action by the physician may prove that to them that others believe that their care is important therefor boosting their own self esteem. This is very important to patients to help with their recovery of any illness. For example, if a patient has just been released from surgery and sent to recovery, they may need the reassurance of health care professional to ensure them that they will give them a higher dosage or even a different type of medication if needed. Without this hope, the patient may feel like they are suffering and the physicians don’t really care. This could alter their recovery time. They may feel like they will never get back to their old selves or even that they must rush the recovery time so that they don’t have to be with the medical staff that “doesn’t