Create a 12-15 slide PowerPoint presentation in which you address the ethical and legal application in the following scenario:
Scenario
You are a hospital administrator who has been told by your ICU unit director of a patient in the unit who has suffered serious brain damage from a car accident 2 days ago and is currently intubated. The patient is 45 years old but does not currently meet the criteria for complete brain death as defined by Arizona state legislature “4-1107. Determination of Death and Status; Rules.” The spouse of the patient has consulted with the attending physician. The attending physician informed the spouse that the patient could survive but would likely require life support. Half of the family is insisting that the patient “wouldn’t want to live this way” and the other half is accusing the other family members of wanting to “kill” the patient. Some allegations have been raised about a substantial inheritance for some family members upon the patient’s death. The battle is becoming intense, and it is beginning to disrupt the medical and nursing staff.
PowerPoint Presentation
- Describe the medical care issues involved in this situation.
- Explain which laws and regulations apply to this situation
- Explain how you would interpret these laws and regulations when making a decision?
- Describe the ethical issues that may arise based on your decision as the administrator.
- Explain how you can ensure appropriate implementation of supporting policies and procedures in order to ensure ethical integrity.
- What policies and procedures would you consider when making your decision? How would you ensure these procedures were followed correctly?
- What resources could you use to support your decision?
Include a title slide, references slide, and speaker notes.
Refer to the resource, “Creating Effective PowerPoint Presentations,” located in the Student Success Center, for additional guidance on completing this assignment in the appropriate style.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this scenario, as a hospital administrator, there is a complicated situation involving a patient in the ICU who has suffered serious brain damage in an accident. The patient is currently intubated and his/her family is in disagreement about the patient’s care. This presentation will address the medical care issues, laws, regulations, ethical issues, policies, procedures, and resources involved in this situation.
1. Describe the medical care issues involved in this situation:
The medical care issues in this situation involve the patient’s condition, the need for life support, the chance of survival, and the patient’s wishes on the matter. The attending physician has informed the spouse that the patient could survive, but would require life support. However, half of the family believes that the patient “wouldn’t want to live this way.”
2. Explain which laws and regulations apply to this situation:
Arizona state legislature “4-1107. Determination of Death and Status; Rules” applies to this situation. This law defines the criteria for complete brain death and specifies the steps for determining the death of an individual.
3. Explain how you would interpret these laws and regulations when making a decision:
When making a decision regarding the patient’s care, it is crucial to interpret the laws and regulations carefully. The decision should be made based on the patient’s best interest, taking into account the family’s wishes, the patient’s wishes (if known), and the medical condition of the patient.
4. Describe the ethical issues that may arise based on your decision as an administrator:
The ethical issues that may arise based on the decision as an administrator include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, and veracity. The administrator must ensure that all of these ethical principles are met when making a decision on the patient’s care.
5. Explain how you can ensure appropriate implementation of supporting policies and procedures to ensure ethical integrity:
To ensure ethical integrity, the administrator must have policies and procedures in place that address the ethical issues involved in this situation. These policies should be communicated to all staff members, and they should be trained to ensure appropriate implementation of these policies.
6. What policies and procedures would you consider when making your decision? How would you ensure these procedures were followed correctly?
The policies and procedures that I would consider when making a decision regarding the patient’s care include informed consent, advanced directives, patient privacy, and patient autonomy. To ensure these procedures are followed correctly, I would communicate them to all staff members and provide adequate training to implement them.
7. What resources could you use to support your decision?
To support my decision, I could use a variety of resources such as a medical ethics committee, medical experts, legal counsel, and other hospital administrators who have dealt with a similar situation. These resources could provide valuable insights and support in making the best decision for the patient.
