Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Week Four Readings and Assignment
1) Read Healthcare Practitioner Reporting Guidelines of Notifiable Conditions (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or Diseases in Florida and scan the Table of Notifiable Diseases or Conditions
2) Watch the online video Social Media Guidelines for Nurses (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
3)Read the article, Staff nurse faces jail time for HIPAA violations, found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
4) Read the article, Alleged privacy violations leads to 16 firings, found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
5) Read the NCSBN white paper, A Nurses Guide to the Use of Social Media, found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
There are additional readings set forth within the Week Four Paper assignment.
6) Read the article, “Protecting Yourself from Malpractice Claims” found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Read the article, “Nurses, Negligence, and Malpractice” found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
7)Read the article, “7 Legal Tips for Safe Nursing Practice” 7 legal tips.pdf
Week Four Paper will address the following four sets of questions:
- 1. In connection with the readings relating to negligence/malpractice answer the following:
- What was the most important information you gained from these articles?
b. What are the elements that must be present for there to be a valid claim of negligence?
Comment on this scenario: A comatose patient is admitted with a UTI. The RN documents turning the patient every 2 hours, but actually did not. The UTI resolves and the patient is discharged without any other changes in prehospital condition.
- Was the RN negligent? Why or why not?
d. Was the RN’s behavior ethical, why or why not?
e. Would any of your answers change, and if so how, if the patient had developed a bedsore during the hospitalization?
Read the summary of Supreme Court case that reviewed Oregon Death with Dignity Act found at Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Read the story of Brittany Maynard found at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/02/brittany-maynard-as-promised-ends-her-life-at-29/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Read “ Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: the illusion of safeguards and controls” found at:
Review State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide found at:
http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=00013 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- 2. In connection with the topics of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, address the following:
- What is the difference between Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide?
b. Explore your thoughts and feelings on the legality of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Should Florida follow Oregon?
c. What guidance on this topic is found in the ANA Code of Ethics (Hint: Interpretive Statement to Provision One)?
d. What is ANA’s position on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as expressed in its Position Statement on the topic?
Read the article, “How We Die” found at:
- 3. What actions could have been taken to prevent this situation from occurring? Describe how refusing treatment differs from euthanasia or assisted suicide.
- 4. Comment on the following scenario:
The RN is taking care of an 86 year old patient 10 days post a 5 vessel bypass. The patient’s fluid balance has been precarious with frequent bouts of congestive heart failure and third spacing of fluids. Today the nurse obtains a BP of 72/40 and starts a bolus of normal saline at 150 mL per hour. The nurse has not tried to contact the physician and there are no standing orders to cover his other actions. Is the RN within his or her scope of practice as set forth in the Florida Nurse Practice Act? In particular, section 464.003 (2).
Week Four Paper will discuss the questions raised in 1-4 above.
Legalizing Physician Assisted Suicide