Discuss whether the appropriate actions were taken in each of the following scenarios. Support your answer with references to the AMA ethical guidelines or the general code of ethics for health care workers found in your text book.
1. A local politician was admitted to the hospital for chest pain. That night, the politician's nurse talked about his situation at home with her husband (including his high blood alcohol level). The husband thought he had a duty to the public to warn them of the politician’s alleged alcohol problem. The next day the newspaper printed a damaging story about him quoting from an anonymous source.
2. Jamie, the nurse aid, was ordered to measure blood sugar readings on several patients. She had never been formally trained to operate the glucometer but agreed to take the readings. She had trouble getting the blood glucometer to register Mr. Sweet's blood sugar reading. She had several other patients waiting for her help, so she looked at his last 2 readings and recorded a number in between.
3. Mr. B. is dying of cancer. His wife calmly explains to the doctor that she knows he would not want to suffer so much and asks for him to be given a lethal dose of morphine. The doctor expresses empathy for Mrs. B and his family but explains that she cannot ethically nor legally carry out the wishes of Mr. B.
4. A doctor has determined that an unborn fetus is severely deformed and will not likely live more than a few weeks after birth. Furthermore, the condition will most certainly threaten the life of the mother during childbirth. Upon sharing the news with his patient, she refuses an abortion stating that it is against her moral and religious beliefs. The doctor continues to persuade and pressure his patient until she reluctantly agrees to the procedure.
5. Mr. X suffered a knee injury while downhill skiing. The doctor performed a thorough physical exam and has determined that Mr. X has strained but not severely damaged the ligaments in his knee. She instructs Mr. X to rest the knee and provides a referral to physical therapy. Mr. X is furious with the doctor and insists that she order an MRI. Despite the patient’s argument the doctor upholds her diagnosis and does not order the MRI.
6. Dr. Z is assisting during a routine surgery when the patient unexpectedly dies. The patient has declared herself as an organ donor. Dr. Z happens to have a patient that is on the waiting list for a heart transplant. He shares this information with the head surgeon and the procedure is quickly underway to determine if Dr. Z’s patient is a match for the available donor organ.
7. Dr. DNA has performed genetic testing on Mr. and Mrs. Smith to determine the probability that they may pass a family genetic disorder to their offspring. Mr. Smith’s employer learns of the test and requests a copy of the results. Dr. DNA informs the employer that the results are confidential and cannot legally or ethically share the results.
8. Mrs. O’Leary’s nurse enters her room to find her unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. The nurse is aware of the Do Not Resuscitate order in Mrs. O’Leary’s chart. However, she is certain that Mrs. O’Leary has only been unconscious for a minute or less and feels that she can revive the patient. The nurse activates a code blue. Mrs. O’Leary’s pulse is quickly regained after defibrillation as the nurse had suspected.
9. While performing a routine physical Dr. XYZ notices bruising on her patient’s arm. She asks about the injury and the patient reports that her boyfriend is abusive. Dr. XYZ feels that the injury is minor and plans to check back with the patient when she sees her again in six months.
10. While eating lunch with several other nurses, Buffy shares a story of her patient that was “so fat she couldn’t fit on the commode and smelled worse than something you’d find in a barn yard.”
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