In this case, a couple of a man and women want to be referred to an infertility specialist to have a procedure of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Both of them have short statures, and their home is accommodated to their height. The issue is that the couple wants to preserve their genetic mutations to make sure that their children would be similar to them. However, the very purpose of IVF is the elimination of gene disorders to produce healthy babies (Dondorp & De Wert, 2019). Even though a nurse cannot deny the couple’s request, their decision contradicts the ethical principles of non-maleficence.
On the one hand, this couple has a right to autonomy, which means deciding and acting in a self-determined manner. From the point of nursing, a patient’s autonomy should be respected by offering informed consent forms and supporting his or her treatment preferences (Butts & Rich, 2020). The couple also seems to provide rational arguments that it will be easier to care for children and live with them in an accommodated house. They pay attention to possible discrimination and misunderstanding from others but also claim that people with a high stature also face similar problems. In terms of the utilitarianism theory, these patients consider the outcomes of their decision, which seem to be sensible.
On the other hand, the identified solution would contribute to producing a child with a genetic mutation, who is likely to have health problems and social issues. The nurse and infertility professional would knowingly oppose the principle of non-maleficence (Klitzman, 2017). The situation is complicated by the fact that the couple intends to intentionally harm their children‘s health, even being informed of the risks (Schuman, 2015). One may suggest that it is essential to try to convince these patients of the need to fix genetic mutations by gently and respectfully presenting its benefits. Nevertheless, further consultations with infertility specialists are required.
References
Butts, J. B., & Rich, K. L. (2020). Nursing ethics (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Dondorp, W., & De Wert, G. (2019). Refining the ethics of preimplantation genetic diagnosis: A plea for contextualized proportionality. Bioethics, 33(2), 294-301.
Klitzman, R. (2017). Unconventional combinations of prospective parents: Ethical challenges faced by IVF providers. BMC Medical Ethics, 18(1), 1-13.
Schuman, N. (2015). A physician’s ethical dilemma when patients use preimplantation genetic diagnosis to select for genetically defective embryos. Law School Student Scholarship, 1-41.