Do Not Resuscitate Orders for Adults with Developmental Disabilities: Ethical Considerations in the Dialysis Center

Abstract

Each discipline in the nephrology community has a specific code of ethics with clearly defined principles, values, and standards of practice. Reconciling these often similar values and principles with differences in professional language (jargon) and perspectives is a challenge experienced by all members of the interdisciplinary team. The following is a brief discussion of four principles of medical ethics defined by Beauchamp and Childress (1994) and the relationship of these principles to those in the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics (2008). A model for resolving ethical conflicts is described and a case study using the model is presented.