Palliative Care Ethics Case Study

In this case study the primary nurse, Amelia Wilkerson, is caring for a patient, Katy Palmer who has recently been admitted to the hospital for fatigue and abnormal lab counts. The patient asks Amelia for information regarding her diagnosis. Amelia has seen Katy’s results and knows that she has been diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia. The ethical dilemma seen in this situation is that it is outside of the scope of practice for Amelia to discuss Katy’s original diagnosis with her. This is reserved for the doctor alone. However, as a nurse that has developed a relationship with her patient it would be very difficult to not answer her question honestly. In addition, the patient might feel more comforted hearing the diagnosis from her nurse rather than the doctor as the nurse has been caring for her and they have developed a therapeutic relationship.

The professional codes, laws, regulations, and ethics committees need to provide guidance but the onus lies with the researcher’s value system and moral code to carry out a credible research.

I believe every case is different regarding a child’s duty to care for their aging parent(s). If a parent is without options and needs support, I believe it is a moral good to tend to the needs of his/her parent, until another option becomes available. On that note, I do not think it should be the child’s sole responsibility when there are other choices that can be made. If a child has maintained a positive relationship with his/her parent(s), the child should continue to keep that relationship, regardless if they care for them, or not. I believe you can be a caregiver for your parents without living with them, and/or enduring the financial burden. Regular visits at assisted-living homes or nursing homes can be an uplifting emotional experience for both the child and the parent. It is very possible to be involved in a parent’s life without being the sole caregiver.

Yes, I think the practice of having a Registered nurse on staff who cannot administer certain basic functions is ethical. Registered nurses who work in assisted living facilities specializes in geriatrics. The typical assisted living facility provides security, housekeeping and food services. While the people in this assignment are not able to live independently or with family, it is the duty of the family to ensure the facility they choose to place their loved ones provides the type of care the person will need. Therefore, it is important for them to visit skilled nursing facilities and find the appropriate one that would accommodate the need of their loved one as opposed to assisted living facility.

It is vital to encourage all members of the team to change their current perspectives in order to move towards a more effective mode of operation (Kaminski, 2011). Empower the palliative care team through education. “Organizational members need to feel worthy and psychologically safe, that is, to have no fear of retribution or punishment for embracing the change” (Burke, 2011). In-service training will be provided to all members of the palliative care team. First, reinforcement of thorough assessment skills is mandatory. The clinical manifestations of unfavorable system responses related to the continued administration of nutrition and hydration must be recognized. In addition, the assessment of signs and symptoms of eminent death are important to recognize (City of Hope, 2007). Also, education pertaining to the necessary legal documents is essential. The early establishment of advanced directive and durable power of attorney must take place. Therefore, all parties involved are aware of the wishes of the patient at a time when emotions would not represent a barrier to effective

How does one want to die? That might be a question too harsh for some to think about. So, maybe the correct question would be, how can one embrace death? Everyone’s answer to this question is more than likely going to be very diverse. Do people embrace death and live every moment to the fullest until it is their time to go? One man, Dudley Clendinen, a writer for the New York Times, did just that. His article is about his intentions to end his own life at the young age of 66 rather than having his daughter and friends watch him die a laborious and excruciating death. The context of his article is to inform his readers of why he would rather die with some dignity rather than being hooked up to machines and letting his loved ones watch him deteriorate slowly.

In the UK, policies for health, safety and security are not only give positive impact it also creates dilemma in relation to implement. Dilemma refers to a situation in which a difficult choice has to he made between two or more alternatives, especially equally undesirable ones. There are different types of dilemma in safety. This includes

Personal philosophy differs for everyone, but generally guides a person in their professional practice in addition to their private lives. In my personal philosophy, I largely base my nursing pathways and private life on ethical values. Although I understand that there empirical beliefs that guide many nurses, and I am still a fresher nurse without years upon years of experience, I still hold ethics at the core.

Threatening to diminish the value of life is very dangerous. Euthanasia, also called mercy killing, is the practice of doctors intentionally ending a terminally ill patient’s life in what is purportedly a gentle and dignified manner. The term originated in ancient Greek and means “easy death.” Doctors perform euthanasia by administering lethal drugs or by withholding treatment that would prolong the patient’s life. Physician-assisted suicide is also a form of euthanasia, but the difference between the two methods is that in euthanasia, doctors end the patient’s life with lethal injections, whereas, in physician-assisted suicide, patients kill themselves with a lethal amount of drugs prescribed by the doctors. Physicians practiced euthanasia

End of life care is considered to be one of the toughest decisions to be made. The challenge of making decisions, the after care of a ended life, factors that support ending life and guidelines for the withdrawal of life are major themes throughout making this decision. These challenges can often be caused by many other factors. Throughout this literature barriers to providing good end of life care was documented throughout, one of which was the overall environment that nurses provide. Which was also described as the nurse's work load, physical layout of the facility, visitation restrictions, procedures, and

People should be able to live their life to the longest. Physician-assisted suicide is a controversial topic spreading throughout the United States due to the ethical issues surrounding the topic. Physician-assisted suicide is legal in a few states and other states have passed bills to make sure this does not happen. Even though some say that all have a right to die, physician-assisted suicide should not be legal because it would be too psychologically damaging to all involved.

Everybody has a right to make a choice. When a person goes to a restaurant, that person has the right to make choice of which entree to eat. However, sometimes a person might not be able to make a decision, such in case of person who is bed bound or a person with a terminal illness. I believe that Physician-assisted suicide should be available as an option for those who can and can’t make decisions for the following reasons cost and ending deterring quality of life.

The APA Code of Ethics has ten (10) enforceable Standards that assist practitioners in their assessment and treatment of patients and provide a guide for behavior and professional conduct. These Standards include the following: Resolving ethical issues, Competence, Human relations, Privacy and confidentiality, Advertising and other public statements, Record keeping and fees, Education and training, Research and publication, Assessment, and Therapy. Practitioners practicing in the psychological field use these Standards, and the five (5) Principles, as they navigate the field of psychology and make decisions in their practice, their research, and the development of future educational programs. It is these carefully crafted Standards and Principles,

Issue: Is it legal and ethical to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatments from a terminally ill adult patient?

This assignment is a reflection of ethical dilemmas in nursing practice as a registered nurse; this paper is based on the group assignment which was completed for NURS3004. This reflection will include an explanation of the role that I portrayed in the group, the preparation that I did for the role, what could have been done differently, how this group assignment has impacted me in terms of working in a team and finally explain how this assignment will assist me in my future clinical practice as a newly registered nurse.