Health and medicine may be regarded as highly critical aspects of every human’s life in the contemporary world as a persons physical, mental, and social well-being is of great importance. Doctors and other medical professionals help people by diagnosing and treating their health problems. At the same time, they face multiple professional and ethical issues connected with their work on a daily basis. Those health care providers who start their writing career along with or after finishing medical practice, frequently address patient-related challenging situations to provide an insight into a doctor’s feelings, emotions, and rationale for actions. In this work, I reflect on three stories, “Facing our Mistakes” by David Hilfiker, “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams, and “Mercy” by Richard Selzer, demonstrating their importance for the understanding of health care providers’ performance.
In David Hilfker’s “Facing our Mistakes,” it is displayed that doctors also make mistakes, and this fact is surprising for many people, including me. Suspecting a missed abortion, Hilfiker schedules “a dilation and curettage procedure to clean out the uterus” and kills Barb’s fetus who was developing (1). However, the most important thing is the ability of doctors to acknowledge their mistakes and take responsibility which is evident in the story. In particular, the doctor made a mistake and apologized to Barb and her husband (Hilfiker 2). In general, this story is hard to read as a reader’s perception is highly affected by a patient’s emotions, and I was not an exception. People frequently view doctors as super-humans who have no right to any mistake as patients entrust their lives and health to them. However, the story shows to me that health care providers are ordinary people, and mistakes are an intrinsic part of their lives as well. Some of the errors that doctors commit include diagnosis-related medical errors, surgery errors, and anesthesia errors (Rodziewicz and John 23). At the same time, the story demonstrates that doctors suffer from their mistakes to, probably, greater extent in comparison with some patients, and that is why it is essential for reading. People should change their attitude to doctors in order to improve the understanding of their challenges and struggles.
In “The Use of Force,” the author shows that doctors may face the necessity to use force for a patient’s good. In the story, Mathilda, a young girl, resists the doctor’s efforts to examine her throat (Williams 1). Children mostly display fear when it comes to medical centers and as a result, tend to be resistant and even violent. Moreover, they do not understand the importance of examination and medication, viewing procedures as torture. As a result, health practitioners may use force when dealing with children. In the story, Williams “overpowered the child’s neck and jaws” and “forced the heavy silver spoon back of her teeth and down her throat till she gagged” (1). This story has affected me deeply as well as it changed my attitude to the ethical principle of non-maleficence. In particular, I was sure that force as a potential source of harm is inapplicable in health care. However, this story demonstrated that force may be necessary for the execution for the execution of the principle of beneficence. If illnesses are not treated on time, they can cause real damage to a persons body and based on this it is not an offense for health practitioners to use force while administering medication (Virhia et al. 243). Thus, “The Use of Force” should be read as well for the understanding of the nature of health care.
Finally, “Mercy” by Richard Selzer focuses on a highly controversial issue of euthanasia. In the story, a patient is not only terminally ill but suffer from a severe and never-ending pain (Selzer 117). It demonstrates that health practitioners tend to develop a special relationship with their patients, especially patients they have dealt with for a long period, and as a result, they are unable to honor the patient’s last wishes (Ortega-Galán et al. 489). In particular, the doctor is unable to administer medication to the man as the wife and mother request to end the pain and suffering of the man out of pity towards the patient (Selzer 118). The last words of this story has strongly affected me – the patient’s mother states that it is not his son, but the doctor is not ready to die. This phase reflects the attitude of health care professionals to their duties and patients. For them, life is sacred as the most precious gift a person may have and taking it away is viewed as morally wrong even if a patient is dying anyway.
To conclude, all three stories are highly powerful and meaningful – they allow readers understand the nature of health care and how people involved in it perceive their duties and what emotions they have. Doctors are ordinary men and women who make mistakes as well, and they will be morally responsible for them for the rest of their lives. They may use force when a patient’s health outcomes depend on it. And at the same time, they have the greatest respect to a person’s life. These stories may help different people gain more knowledge both as readers and professionals and realize that in medical centers both patients and doctors are faced with different challenges. That is why it is essential to understand each other and cooperate for the improvement of health and well-being.
Works Cited
Hilfiker, David. “Facing our Mistakes.” 1984, pp. 1-7. Web.
Ortega-Galán, Ángela María, et al. “Competence and Compassion: Key Elements of Professional Care at the End of Life from Caregiver’s Perspective.” American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, vol. 36, no. 6, 2019, pp. 485-491.
Rodziewicz, Thomas L., and John E. Hipskind. Medical Error Prevention. StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island. [Internet], 2020.
Selzer, Richard. “Mercy.” The Iowa Review, 1980, pp. 117-119.
Virhia, Jennika, et al. ““If You Do Not Take the Medicine and Complete the Dose… It Could Cause You More Trouble”: Bringing Awareness, Local Knowledge and Experience into Antimicrobial Stewardship in Tanzania.” Antibiotics, vol. 12, no. 2, 2023, p. 243.
Williams, William Carlos. “The Use of Force.” 1938, p. 1, Web.