You are a hospital administrator who has been told by your ICU unit director of a patient in the unit who has suffered serious brain damage from a car accident 2 days ago and is currently intubated. The patient is 45 years old but does not currently meet the criteria for complete brain death as defined by Arizona state legislature “4-1107. Determination of Death and Status; Rules.” The spouse of the patient has consulted with the attending physician. The attending physician informed the spouse that the patient could survive but would likely require life support. Half of the family is insisting that the patient “wouldn’t want to live this way” and the other half is accusing the other family members of wanting to “kill” the patient. Some allegations have been raised about a substantial inheritance for some family members upon the patient’s death. The battle is becoming intense, and it is beginning to disrupt the medical and nursing staff.
Describe the medical care issues involved in this situation.
Explain which laws and regulations apply to this situation.
Explain how you would interpret these laws and regulations when making a decision?
Describe the ethical issues that may arise based on your decision as the administrator.
Explain how you can ensure appropriate implementation of supporting policies and procedures in order to ensure ethical integrity.
What policies and procedures would you consider when making your decision? How would you ensure these procedures were followed correctly?
What resources could you use to support your decision?
