In: Nursing
Imagine you are a pediatric nurse. You have been providing care for an infant with failure to thrive and a congenital heart defect. The infant will require multiple types of home medical monitoring equipment and a very expensive surgery to save his life. As the child grows, he will need continued follow-up care and smaller palliative surgeries to ensure his health. The family comes from a strict Amish community in which the elders of the community make all final medical decisions. The parents want the medical team to save their baby; however, they declined treatment because the Amish elders have decided that the community cannot endure the continued cost associated with prolonged medical care. It is your job to discharge the family home, knowing the child will die at home.
1. What ethical issue is represented in this case study?
(5 pts)
2. How does Amish culture shape the parents' views of
death and dying? Cite at least one outside source you utilized to
help you understand Amish culture. (10 pts)
3. Why could this be a difficult assignment for the nurse? (10 pts)
ANSWER 1. ETHICAL ISSUE REPRESENTED IN THIS STUDY.
INFORMED CONSENT:
Important aspects of informed consent include ethical obligations to promote autonomy, provide information, and avoid unethical forms of bias. Patients have the right to refuse medical therapies, whether on religious or other grounds, if they are competent to do so.
All patients should be involved in medical decision making to the degree their capacity allows, irrespective of age.
In neonate, infant and children who can not give consent their parent's consent will be considerable.Children are persons who have not attained the legal age for consent to treatments or procedures, that time necessary to obtained consent from parent or gaurgians.
ANSWER 2. AMISH culture have belief of death and dying totally different.Amish believe in heaven and hell. However, unlike other branches of Christianity, the Amish believe that once a person has died, they’re no longer there. They are immediately with God in the afterlife.
they think that infant is already going to die .so its not in our hand it is all about god wish. So if any big health issue occurs then they think it's god punish them so they don't take treatment for a health issue and people die.
We know the Amish family culture from parents. they told the nurse about their rules culture about death and dying and about treatment.
I use some articles from the internet that help me to understand Amish culture and about death and dying.
ANSWER 3.
This assignment is very difficult for nurse because one side child live his last moment and it could die if treatment can't happen and otherwise Amish culture. and the nurse can't avoid the culture of Amish because after all that child is Amish. So this situation is very complex that what to do or not.
If the nurse does treatment and tells his parents so She disrespects Amish culture belief toward child. and if nurse respects Amish belief toward child than she can put the child in a dangerous situation.