ISSUES AND TRENDS

NURS24998—Issues and Trends



The Use Of Technology In Nursing

The policy that catches my attention most is human rights. Even in the midst of a divisive war, a health care crisis, and the continued erosion of our civil liberties that the legislative branch of our government still has time to ignore the separation of powers and interfere with a legitimate state court's decision. One subject that caught my attention was the Terri Schiavo saga in Florida. Mrs. Schiavo is a patient who is in a vegetative state who has had her feeding tube reinserted by order of the legislature and governor.

This was not an issue until her husband wanted the feeding tube removed permanently. This is an ethical issue where government, medical, and religious decisions are brought into the subject matter, when it wasn't necessary. As a health care practitioner, we know what happens to individuals who cannot feed themselves. They eventually become dehydrated and starve to death. It was stated that the feeding tube to be removed was a "right to life or right to die" (John, et al., 2007) issue given by Mrs. Schiavo to her husband. To some though, it may seem like a choice of euthanasia instead - killing off the unwanted for what? MONEY. This is totally immoral.

Who am I to make such statements? That is just my opinion and my opinion may differ from what others may believe.

This issue bothers me because the judgment was not Terri Schiavo's choice, but her husbands. What right does he have to take her life? That is for God to choose, not his. She was alive and perfectly well for someone in her condition and the decision was left hostage and not willing to let her parents have guardianship over their own daughter as they so desire? It seems like this man is either being spiteful or revengeful as he sure isn't up to her husband who I consider to be a legalized murder.

As a nurse, I have watched people just like Terri suffer. I have bathed them, dressed them and fed them. I've asked myself many times why anyone would want to put their loved ones nursing home and let them slip through the cracks and become another vegetable for someone else to take care of? Before I thought they were just too lazy to care for them themselves. Now, I believe they do this so health care providers like me become their love and support for their family members. I have seen countless families put their family in homes and come once a week or once a month if the patient is lucky. Sometimes they never come back and visit, unless it's to sign a death certificate or a DNR order(Slomanson, 2006).

Whatever their reasons are, I've grown accustomed to patients coming in and dying at my facility and it has been the norm. He should have placed her in a nursing home instead. Since rehabilitation has not been attempted, I don't know what ...