Who Gets the Last Bed

Description

This scenario takes place during a casual dinner party hosted by one of the group members, where six university students from different disciplines (4 in nursing, 1 in public health, 1 in business) are relaxing and catching up after exams. The conversation shifts from school stress to real-world health issues, when someone mentions a recent news article about an ICU bed going to a private patient over a public one. What starts as a casual conversation quickly turns into a heated debate about ethics, system design, health equity, and personal values. Each person’s academic background and lived experience shapes how they interpret the issue. The situation escalates when emotions rise and people feel personally attacked or misunderstood. Eventually, someone steps in to de-escalate the situation using course-based strategies like active listening, encouraging “I” statements, and grounding the conversation in shared values like patient well-being and fairness.