Individual Right Versus The Collective Good Essay Discussion
Individual Right Versus The Collective Good Essay
Individual Right Versus the Collective Good
Healthcare Policy: Covid-19 Mask Mandate
When the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) struck the world, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all people older than two years, apart from those with conditions or disabilities that prevented them from wearing a mask, wear a mask in public indoor spaces where they could not maintain a 1-meter distance from others (Gostin et al., 2020). In seeking to enforce this recommendation, most states issued mask mandates during the first wave of the pandemic. Private institutions and businesses had the right to develop mask-wearing policies in states that did not issue mask mandates Individual Right Versus The Collective Good Essay Discussion.
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The tension between Individual Rights and the Collective Good
Although growing scientific evidence showed that mask-wearing protected people from contracting and spreading the virus, some community members opposed it, stating that it violated their right to appear in public without covering their faces. Citizens who opposed mask-wearing explained that they only opposed the mandate, not the mask (Stewart, 2020). They claimed that the states do not have the right to force people to wear masks, insisting that it should be voluntary. In some cases, mask opposers challenged private business mask policies, inciting members of the public to boycott them.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
In opposition to the maks mandates, a section of the citizens stated that the policies violated the 14th Amendment, which states that States cannot formulate laws that undermine individual freedoms. A Federal Judge ruled in April 2022 that the CDC overstepped its mandate in requiring mask-wearing (Tanne, 2022). While this argument is valid, it leaves government agencies with the task of developing a solution to protect all citizens from the disease without violating their rights. One way to approach this dilemma is to invest in a nationwide education program to increase people’s awareness of the benefits of mask-wearing. The resulting mask acceptance will likely increase willful compliance.
References
Gostin, L. O., Cohen, I. G., & Koplan, J. P. (2020). Universal masking in the United States: the role of mandates, health education, and the CDC. Jama, 324(9), 837-838. 10.1001/jama.2020.15271
Stewart, E.(2020). Anti-maskers explain themselves. Vox. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/8/7/21357400/anti-mask-protest-rallies-donald-trump-covid-19
Tanne, J. H. (2022). Covid-19: Mask mandate is struck down, although US cases are rising. https://www.bmj.com/content/377/bmj.o998
Discussion: Individual Right Versus the Collective Good
Most of the recent successes in improving the public’4 s health have had to address the tension of individual rights versus the collective good. Anti-smoking campaigns and laws banning smoking in public places protect people from the negative health effects of second-hand smoke, yet some believe that they infringe on the individual rights of those who choose to smoke. Requiring childhood immunizations has helped prevent diseases such as polio and measles, but some parents assert that they have the right to decide if being immunized is in the best interest of their children Individual Right Versus The Collective Good Essay Discussion.
This tension also exists in the allocation of scarce resources, from providing adequate staff coverage to making decisions about the amount of health care to provide. Given the nurse’s involvement in policy and health care delivery, it is important to understand the dynamics of this tension, as well as the legal and ethical implications.
To prepare:
When have you encountered a tension between the individual right and the collective good in your nursing practice?
With information from the Learning Resources in mind, consider relatively recent examples of health care policy that demonstrate this tension. For this Discussion, select one example of timely health care policy that allows you to evaluate the tension between individual rights and the collective good. Conduct additional research as necessary using credible websites and the Walden Library.
By Day 3
Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:
In the first line of your posting, identify a health care policy.
Explain the tension between individual rights and the collective good.
Analyze the ethical and legal considerations of the policy Individual Right Versus The Collective Good Essay Discussion.