Unit III Homework
Instructions
For this assignment, refer to Chapter 6 on page 151 of your textbook. Write your responses to the questions listed in the three Discussion Cases. Number your responses to each question and letter listed in the case studies.
Your assignment must be at least two pages in length (all responses combined). APA Style will not be required for this assignment.
Discussion Cases
1. Jessica Mass, a phlebotomist, drew a blood sample from Glenn Ross, a 30-year-old patient of Dr. Williams, to test for AIDS. As Glenn was leaving the office, his friend Harry came in and they greeted each other. Jessica took Harry into an exam room, and in the course of making conversation, he told her that he was a good friend of Glenn’s. He asked Jessica why Glenn was seeing the doctor. Jessica responded that it was just for a test for AIDS.
When Harry arrived back home, he called Glenn and told him what the phlebotomist had said. Glenn called Dr. Williams and complained about Jessica’s action and said that he planned to sue Dr. Williams. Dr. Williams dismissed Jessica. Dr. Williams told Jessica that if Glenn did bring a lawsuit against her and she lost, then she would sue Jessica.
a. What should Jessica have done or said when Harry asked about Glenn’s reason for being in the office?
b. Did Dr. Williams have a legal right to sue Jessica if she was sued and lost?
c. What important right did Jessica violate?
2. Denise, an LPN, works in a nursing home on the 3:00 to 11:00 pm shift. She is instructed to prepare medications to give to her own patients as they eat their evening meal. She is also told that it is the policy of the nursing home that she will also prepare all the medications to be distributed in the morning by the LPN who will pass medications at both breakfast and lunch the next day. Denise is told that the reason for doing this is because she will have more time, as the evening shift is not as busy as the morning shift. Denise does not want to object because she really needs the job.
a. What are the potential problems with this policy?
b. What should Denise do?
c. If a patient is harmed by receiving the incorrect medicine, who would be charged with the negligence?
3. David, an 89-year-old war hero with no living relatives, drove himself at night to a local hospital when he experienced shortness of breath and a headache. When he entered the emergency room (ER) he was placed in a wheelchair and briefly seen by an ER doctor. He was told that he could not be admitted because he was a veteran and had to go to a VA hospital, which was 90 minutes away, for treatment. David was wheeled into the hallway to wait for transportation to a VA hospital. The night shift was very busy. After sitting in the hall for five hours, David complained that he needed to lie down. The ER staff, who had been trying to move him to a VA hospital with no luck, finally transferred him by ambulance to a local nursing home. David had a massive stroke shortly after being admitted to the nursing home and died six weeks later.
a. Does there appear to be negligence in this case?
b. In your opinion, who might have acted on behalf of David?
c. In your opinion, would contributory negligence be a defense if there is a malpractice lawsuit relating to David’s death?
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
This assignment requires answering questions from three discussion cases mentioned in Chapter 6 of the textbook. The cases highlight scenarios related to ethical and legal issues that healthcare professionals may face. The answers aim to provide an understanding of the importance of adhering to ethical and legal standards to ensure patient safety and avoid lawsuits.
1. What should Jessica have done or said when Harry asked about Glenn’s reason for being in the office?
Jessica should have refrained from disclosing any information about Glenn’s medical condition to Harry. She should have informed Harry that she is bound by patient privacy laws and cannot share any information unless authorized by the patient or the doctor. She might have offered to convey Harry’s concern to Glenn or Dr. Williams for clarification. Her disclosure of Glenn’s medical condition to Harry is a violation of patient privacy laws and ethical standards.
2. What are the potential problems with this policy? What should Denise do? If a patient is harmed by receiving the incorrect medicine, who would be charged with the negligence?
The policy of assigning a single LPN to prepare all medications for both the evening and morning shifts increases the risk of medication errors. The LPN on duty may get fatigued or distracted, leading to mistakes in preparing the medications. Denise should raise her concerns with her supervisor about the potential risk to patient safety and communicate that she cannot prepare medications for the morning shift. If a patient is harmed due to incorrect medicine, the nursing home and its management would be charged with negligence.
3. Does there appear to be negligence in this case? In your opinion, who might have acted on behalf of David? In your opinion, would contributory negligence be a defense if there is a malpractice lawsuit relating to David’s death?
There appears to be negligence in this case. David, an 89-year-old patient, was not provided timely and appropriate medical attention despite his critical condition. The delay in transferring him to a VA hospital resulted in him staying in the hallway of an emergency room for five hours, which led to complications that eventually caused his death. David’s case manager, appointed by the VA hospital, could have acted on his behalf to ensure timely treatment. Contributory negligence might be a defense in a malpractice lawsuit relating to David’s death, but it would depend on the specific circumstances leading up to his death.
