In this instance the staff nurse failed to advocate for Mr. E by not informing nor asking his brother, Mr. Y, if he was aware his brother had an advanced directive. By asking the question this would have facilitated a discussion about Mr. E's presenting symptoms and the treatment options available. This would have provided an opportunity for further education and correlation that Mr. E's physical symptoms and history of developmental delays aren't an ideal combination for making a decision regarding his current treatment options. In safeguarding for the patient this would include full disclosure of all knowledge the nurse had of the patient's wishes. Complicating matters Mr. Y called his niece, Ms. H., who arrives at the hospital before him.
Fundamental legal aspects of each case The ANA Code of Ethics are used to help uphold fundamental legalities. When we look at the ethical responsibility and fundamental legalities that are associated with direct patient care and as it applies in the case study case study of patient Marianne, a 79 year-old female, who is brought to the emergency department with hemorrhagic stroke, a bad prognosis of recovering and she does not have an advance directive. The legal aspects of the legal responsibilities of the registered nurse who was a witness in a malpractice case of a nursing colleague that was found to be negligent in following the standards of the nursing practice. The primary obligation of the nurse is to protect the patient’s best interest, maintaining safety, dignity and ethical accountability, which is essential in the first case of Marianne, as she is neurologically unstable and unable to have a voice in her care and does not have a living will. According to the ANA Code of Ethics, the nurse is responsible to provide the family with full disclosure about Marianne’s condition and inform the family of possible outcomes of having
This paper will address why Jerry is not qualified to refill any prescription medication. If Jerry is protected if a lawsuit is filled. Jerry’s decision is a tough one, legal and ethical issues and advice will be provided for Jerry’s use. Jerry’s medical training does not qualify him to issue a refill order as well as the pharmacy law. A licensed practical nurse is below a registered nurse level and not even an RN can do this.
As a Medical Assistant and Licensed Practical Nurse Jerry is not certified or qualified to call in a prescription to have it filled or refilled. Medication The medication the patient is requesting to have refilled, Valium (Diazepam), is not used as an antidepressant though he makes it very clear this is why he needs the medication. Valium is used for many reasons; anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. There are certain stipulations that come along with taking the medication. The medication should not be taking for longer than four months at a time
However, the nurse refused to do so, on the woman by claiming that it was against company policy to perform CPR on those living in the home. The EMTs arrived at the scene some 7 minutes and a few seconds later, but by then, Bayless had breathed her last. As I will argue in this paper, Eeven though Bayless had wanted a natural death without any life prolonging intervention, the nurse had a preexisting duty to attempt to save the old woman’s life. (State in one sentence what that duty is based on – her professional obligation, the principle of beneficence/nonmaleficence, or what?) Kant advocatesd duty-based or deontological ethics, which focuses on what people do, not the consequences of their actions.
A clear solution to this dilemma would be if the patient had a DNR (do not resuscitate) advance directive. Unfortunately the patient does not have one and the family refuses to assign him one. According to the American Nursing Association’s code of ethics “The nurse’s primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, or community; as well as, The nurse promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient”(as cited by Potter & Perry, 2013, Pg. 288). In this scenario the family is now the voice of the patient and it is the nurse’s responsibility to carry out their wishes.
When a nurse witnesses another health care provider “acting in a way that could endanger the health or safety of a patiet, they should make a report of what they witnessed.” (Austin, Brooke, & Glenn, 2004, p. 363 ) The concept of moral agency should guide the nurse when reporting witnessed or suspected malpractice. The nurse has to determine if whistle-blowing is the appropriate decision at this time. The nurse needs to gather the facts, state the problem, determine the reason
feeding tube fitted, nor was he a candidate for Total Parenteral Nutrition (T.P.N.) infusion, due to abnormal blood analysis. The ethical dilemma then lies with the patients’ autonomy vs. a nurses’ paternal instinct to act in their best interests. This assignment will consider the statement “…ignorance of the law is no defence and the nurse should be aware of the limits which the law imposes on her, and also the power it gives her” (Dimond 2005). It will try to give interpretation of this statement by mentioning the situation above throughout, which highlights a number of ethical and legal dilemmas - while maintaining confidentiality by protecting the patients’ identity using obscurity (NMC 2004).
Mr. J was kept in restraint without considering that Mr. J was not trying to get out of bed by himself. When the pressure ulcer was identified, the nurse neglected evidence which should have been a basis of removing restraint. Even if the risk of falling was high, a sound alarm could have been placed at the bedside, which Mr. J could have used when he wanted to use the bathroom. The body of Mr. J was in unnecessary discomfort due to restraint and constant pressure was causing ulcer in the back. Mr. J was diagnosed with mild dementia and was drowsy, so the nursing staff had put him in restraint.
Where clearly has brought a difficult situation to the healthcare team of the hospital raising ethical and legal issues in all aspects due to the fact that the parents of the pregnant teen have refused any assistance and the nurse assigned has complied silently. This scenario compromises patient safety and puts the minor and child in medical danger. Not only are the lives of the minor and the teen in danger but also it raises an ethical issue of the hospital and patients’ rights. It would make sense to attempt to provide all medical attention necessary to promote patient safety for the sake of the minor and unborn child but also it is important to evaluate the legal liability of the hospital to determine if the parents have all the rights and responsibility in decision making for their daughter. Therefore, treating all patients fairly is an ethical duty of the hospital and staff with respect to values and beliefs.