Question

1. Can a neighbor make important healthcare decisions for a patient? Explain the process with support of your reading material.

2. Discuss one type of defense against a specific liability that may be brought against a nurse. Explain with support of your reading material.

3. Susan work at South Town Hospital. While caring for a patient, she discovered that nurse Haley has caused significant injury to a patient. Discus the case where Haley is or is not covered under the hospital group insurance policy. (Only discus one: is covered or is not covered.). Explain with support of your reading material.

Answer 1

It can be overwhelming to be asked to make healthcare decisions for someone who is dying and is no longer able to make his or her own decisions.Some experts believe that decisions should be based on substituted judgment whenever possible. One is to put yourself in the place of the person who is dying and try to choose as he or she would. This is called substituted judgment.

Example:

Joseph and Leilani’s Story

Joseph’s 90-year-old mother, Leilani, was in a coma after having a major stroke. The doctor said damage to Leilani’s brain was widespread and she needed to be put on a breathing machine (ventilator) or she would probably die. The doctor asked Joseph if he wanted that to be done. Joseph remembered how his mother disapproved when an elderly neighbor was put on a similar machine after a stroke. He decided to say no, and his mother died peacefully a few hours later.

There are several defenses available to medical professionals accused of malpractice.They are

a) Contributory Negligence

b) Comparative Negligence

c) Assumption of Risk

Contributory Negligence

Oftentimes, medical professionals aren’t the only ones to blame for an injury. If a medical professional can show that the injury would not have occurred had it not been for a negligent act by the patient, he or she may have a valid defense against a malpractice claim. For example, if a patient mixed prescriptions against the doctor’s orders or failed to disclose key elements of his or her medical history, the doctor may be off the hook for any injuries that result.

Insurance companies determine what tests, drugs and services they will cover. These choices are based on their understanding of the kinds of medical care that most patients need.

In this case,

INJURY: Injury means accidental physical bodily harm excluding illness or disease solely and directly caused by external, violent and visible and evident means which is verified and certified by a medical practitioner.So covered under Hospital Group Insurance Policy.