Nursing ethics Professional Development Exercises

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Question Description

  • Read the case study presented at the end of Chapter 8 (Guido, p. 150)
    • Is the patient correct in asserting that he has a right to know the names and status of individuals who will be performing this procedure?
    • Does the manner in which the student introduced herself and the two other team members have relevance in this case?
    • Was the informed consent deficient to the degree that there was a lack of informed consent by the patient?
    • How would you decide this case?
  • A patient is admitted to your surgical center for a breast biopsy under local anesthesia. The surgeon has previously informed the patient of the procedure, risks, alternatives, desired outcomes, and possible complications. You give the surgery permit form to the patient for her signature. She readily states that she knows about the procedure and has no additional questions; she signs the form with no hesitation. Her husband, who is visiting with her, says he is worried that something may be said during the procedure to alarm his wife. What do you do at this point? Do you alert the surgeon that informed consent has not been obtained? Do you request that the surgeon revisit the patient and reinstruct her about the surgery? Since the patient has already signed the form, is there anything more you should do?

Now consider the ethical issues that such a scenario raises. Which ethical principles is the husband in this example most portraying? Which ethical principles should guide the nurse in working with this patient and family member?

  • Jimmy Chang, a 20- year- old college student, is admitted to your institution for additional chemotherapy. Jimmy was diagnosed with leukemia 5 years earlier and has had several courses of chemotherapy. He is currently in an acute active phase of the disease, though he had enjoyed a 14- month remission phase prior to this admission. His parents, who accompany him to the hospital, are divided as to the benefits of additional chemotherapy. His mother is adamant that she will sign the informed consent form for this course of therapy, and his father is equally adamant that he will refuse to sign the informed consent form because “Jimmy has suffered enough.”

You are his primary nurse and must assist in somehow resolving this impasse. What do you do about the informed consent form? Who signs and why? Using the MORAL model, decide the best course of action for Jimmy from an ethical perspective rather than a legal perspective. Did you come to the same conclusion using both an ethical and a legal approach?

Please combine all of these responses into a single Microsoft Word document for submission

Please submit only complete assignments (not partial or “draft” assignments). Submit only the assignments corresponding to the module in this section.

You are not required to adhere to the 500-1000 word count for each of the responses, but please be thorough in your responses so that you adequately address all aspects of each question.