The Ethics Of Nursing Ethics - 1540 Words

Children and respirators are terms typically appalling and scary to society. In the nursing profession, it is often that nurses will deal with these two appalling terms. A case involving these two terms has been analyzed in regards to nursing ethics. Nursing ethics involves several different complex ideas and with the aid of the four way method one is able to analyze and make a decision in regards to controversial and difficult nursing situations. The four way method helped analyze a fourteen year old boys, named Jack, situation wherein a dilemma arose regarding the continuation of life support. After analyzing Jack’s situation with proposed solutions by using the four way method, one is able to make an educated and informed ethical†¦show more content†¦According to Disability Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, a vegetative state can be described as â€Å"a condition of no recognizable interaction with the environment in spite of spontaneous or stimulus-induced a rousal and the ability to maintain a condition of wakefulness† (Lancioni et al., 2007, p. 293). Jack’s family has been experiencing large amounts of stress financially and emotionally since the incident. They are a family of five and the mother is the primary caretaker of the family while the father works to support them. One especially stressful aspect to the family’s dynamic is the fact that one of their five children suffers from down syndrome. Their schedules are stretched very thin while trying to make ends meet financially, take care of the other four children, and be with Jack in the hospital while he is hooked up to the respirator. As the primary nurses we are aware that Jack’s family is not necessarily financially stable at this time and Jack’s current hospitalization does not help their financial status. It is also a huge emotional toll on the family. The mother has asked us as nurses to unplug Jack’s respirator during the night. Sh e believes that if we do so then no one will know that we did such a thing. The ethical issue that stands behind this is that Jack’s primary physician has the desire to wait and see what will happen with Jack over time. The physician believes Jack’s condition to be reversible, however if