Question

Consider this situation: A teenager has been brought into the ED unconscious and with shallow breathing. The doctors and nurses stabilize the teen and transfer the teen to the ICU were she is put on a ventilator as she is unable to breathe on her own, she remains unconscious. A week later, there is no change, the teen remains on the vent, unconscious, and has no other signs of life other than diminished brain activity. You are in the teen's room and you are re-positioning her and doing passive range of motion exercises. The mother is in the room, she looks exhausted and has been crying. You have received report earlier and know the teen no longer has any brain activity and is being kept alive only by the ventilator. The mother very tentatively asks "Is my daughter dead? She hasn't moved or opened her eyes. I know they did a test on her about her brain activity but no one can tell me the results? Can you? What do you do? What principle in the Code of Ethics did you rely on for your answer?

Answer 1

Ethics is a set of code for the professional practice which guide a nurse in decision making on her patient's health care outcomes. The components of code of ethics are non maleficience, beneficience, justice, fidelity, veracity,and autonomy. The principles of non maleficience focus on doing no harm to the client. Beneficience states that all health care services must do good to the patient. Justice focus on equal and impartial treatment for all patient irrespective of caste, age, creed, sex or any other background. Fidelity is the way a health care professional would be loyal to the patient and care is transparent. Veracity is saying truth to the patient about the treatment modalities. Autonomy is to respect the patient's right to make decision aboout the treatment.

In this case, mother has the right to know her child's treatment outcome. Hence, the nurse should follow the principles of fidelity , veracity and autonomy so as to help the mother to understand her child's condition by providing the correct information and assist the family in making choices related to the continuity of care in the hospital or referral to any other centre if required.