Moral Decision Paper

A paramedic’s role is to insure safety for everyone at any given moment. This particular question that’s

ask, who will I save first? Is a tough one. Just the thought of being in that position of making the choice

whose life should be saved and whose should end is something I hope no one have to go through. I believe

as paramedics, if possible, it should be a team effort in making that decision. I realize at times a decision

have to made rather quickly, May not have time to consult with the team. The goal is to save as many

lives as possible and occasionally have to protect the ones that are the most vulnerable, like children.

Kids are the most vulnerable during a crisis situation and cannot protect themselves. I believe the moral

thing to do is to save them first. Then the elderly would have to be saved next. Most elderly people are

not as agile and cannot get out of arms way fast enough. So under these circumstances the scout leader

must be the one sacrificed.

The duty oriented reasoning is moral decision in making a tough call in saving a life. A person must

realize what’s morally right verses the consequence to an action taken. For instance, a paramedic have

to make a moral decision even if it has a negative outcome. The truth is, by all means necessary a child’s

life had to be saved before the scout leader, that’s a moral decision.

The consequence oriented reasoning is the final outcome is justified by the means. In this case

getting the boys to safety is the first priority. At this stage their lives are more important than the

scoutmasters. The reasoning behind duty oriented reasoning is the intention, and is based on

universal principles that guide actions (Fremgen, 2009). Consequence-oriented reasoning, or

consequentialism, uses a cost/benefit analysis to benefit as many people as possible (Fremgen,

2009; Rosenstand, 2003).

It is a moral principle to save as many people as possible. Some may think it’s un-human to

think about whose life should be saved first and whose life should be sacrificed. But it is

necessary to save the most amount of people and leave least amount left behind. Although every

life is important, hard decision have to be made, having to react to a life and death situation.

Virtue- ethics reasoning deals with role of someone’s character. It focuses on moral

pholosphies rather than following rules.” Virtue-ethics reasoning is based on what a virtuous

persowould

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