Ethics & Law - Adult Nursing

2053 Words9 Pages
Assignment Title: A case study of Miss Jones This essay will be exploring the case study of Miss Jones (Name changed for confidentiality reasons, as stipulated in the Nursing and Midwifery Councils professional code of conduct 2008) a forty four year old women woman who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She currently has to undergo tests, due to her condition deteriorating over the last year and the Doctors have decided to place a ‘Do Not Attempt Resuscitation’ (DNAR) on her file. This essay will firstly define what a ‘DNAR’ order is, identify the legal and ethical implications and apply them to this case study. It will also use the NMC’s code of conduct, which has set principles to which all health care professionals are to adhere to and highlight the elements of which pertain to Miss Jones’ case. A DNAR is a request not to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed if the heart stops or breathing ceases (NursingTimes.net, 2009). O’Donnell M. (2007) agrees that law clearly states doctors have a legal duty to apply good medical practice in the best interests of their patients. No law has ever required doctors to act according to previous results and to what could be seen extremely unlikely to achieve a positive outcome. Indeed, where treatment is not necessary and not in the best interest of the patient, there is no rule that agrees to providing treatment and in fact to do so could be considered assault (Dimond, B. 2005). In the case of Miss Jones, the doctors probably feel they have made their decisions in her best interest due to the unknowing quality of her life after being resuscitated. This is similar to the idea of mercy killing – ‘euthanasia’ to be precise (Herring, J. 2006). However, they have not done so in her best interest and so they have failed to meet her desires by acting without her informed consent. This is a crucial
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