Assignment task:
Sara's 10-year-old daughter has leukemia, and she and her husband are refusing treatment. As a last resort, Sara took her child to the hospital. Out-of-pocket payment for the hospitalization will come from Sara, her family, and her neighbors. A hospital social worker has been consulted to speak with Sara and her husband in an effort to secure their permission to continue treatment. The social worker showed Sara news clipping from the USA Today wherein another Amish couple residing in Ohio has also refused chemotherapy to treat their daughter's lymphoblastic lymphoma--an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that is seemingly curable.
1. Is the social worker's choice to show the USA Today article to Sara appropriate and ethical? Why or why not?
2. What would be a way for the social worker to share her concerns about Sara daughter's condition and medical needs while still respecting Sara's religious and cultural beliefs?
3. How might your own religious and family background influence the way you react to Sara and her family's situation?