CASE STUDY

Case Study

Case Study

State's Regulations and Nursing Standards

The state regulation which can be applied to this case study is Nursing Practice Act. The nursing standards which are requires to be fulfilled by a nurse include; implementing measures which ensure a safe environment for people, knowing the effects and rationale of using a medication, report and document events accordingly etc. However, the most important standard is that the nurse must comply with the necessary requirements of the Sub Chapter I of the Nursing Practice Act (info.sos.state.tx.us).

Nursing Code of Ethics

The nursing code of ethics which applies to this case is informed consent.

Code's Impact on Professional Decision

Based on the identified nursing code of ethics, nurses are not at liberty to make their own decision in situations like the one described in this case. Obtaining consent is an ethical and legal obligation for a nurse, because it is necessary to inform certain people associated with the client, before performing the procedure. All information provided in consent must include the important aspects the treatment, for instance, nature of treatment, its benefits and associated risks, consequences of not having the treatment (Langowski, 2005).

Ethical Responsibility of Doctor

Without obtaining the consent of Mr. E's brother, if the doctor puts the patient on the ventilator without the permission of any of the patient's relative than it would not be ethical, since, the patient's history suggests that the patient does not want to be treated through a ventilator or feeding tube.

Ethical Responsibility of Patient's Brother

As indicated in Mr. E's form he has given the power of attorney to his brother as a substitute decision maker on his behalf. As the law also permits the substitute decision maker to take the decision on behalf of the patient, it is ethical for Mr. E's brother to authorize the doctors to put his brother on ventilator. Moreover, since the patient's brother also consulted with the patient's nephew and they mutually decided to allow doctors to put the patient on ventilator it will not be considered unethical.

Nurse's Autonomy

Nurses do not have the autonomy to take their own decision in serious conditions like the one mentioned in the case. It is primarily because of two reasons; firstly, nurses should consult the doctor without performing any procedure on patients with precarious conditions and secondly, nurses should obtain the consent for performing any procedure from the patient's substitute decision maker. Therefore, the nurses must ...