N520 Legal and Ethical Issues in Nursing Module 6 Assignment
Professional Development Exercises :
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?