Question

A patient has been in the hospital for 31 days and being treated for depression. She was given various medications, including sedatives. During her time in the hospital, she was described as lethargic, tired, and drowsy. On the morning of her discharge, nursing staff woke her on four occasions, but each time she fell asleep again. When woken at lunchtime the patient was told the bed was needed for another patient. Whilst in the shower her bags were packed by staff and the bed stripped. Her car was brought to the door and her belongings packed into it. While driving home the patient ‘blacked out’ and had a car accident. The patient claimed that she should not have been allowed to drive home 1. What ethical principle(s) would apply in this case? Were some ethical principles breached in this scenario? 2. What ethical theories would be applicable in this case? Discuss how and why. 3. Which health care professionals are responsible? Why are they responsible? 4. What legal consequences would there be in this scenario? What action can the patient take?

Answer 1

1) The ethical principles violated here are beneficience and non maleficent , the care giver didn't thinck of good for pt and they do farm to pt . If any treatment or care has had an “adverse” and/or “debilitating” effect on a patient’s level of functioning, cognition and/or consciousness, it becomes a matter of determining what potential harm is reasonably foreseeable thereafter.

2) numerous breaches of duty including:

(a) failing to observe her condition before discharge
(b) failing to ascertain the means whereby the plaintiff was journeying home
(c) furnishing the plaintiff’s car keys to her at the time of her discharge
(d) facilitating her to operate a motor vehicle immediately on discharge
(e) failing to warn her of the potential effects and/or not to operate a motor vehicle due to her medications to get home.

3) Both the hospital and the treating psychiatrist alleged contributory negligence

4)the legal consequences of the negligence towards the pt will be taken to court and there after will b fined for the pt damage . The pt can claim and sue the hospital and the psychiatrist.