preview

Mrs. Boswell’s Dilemma Essay

Good Essays

This ethical scenario presents an 86 year old female with numerous health issues and chronic illnesses. Mrs. Boswell’s advancing Alzheimer’s disease makes it extremely difficult to initiate dialysis, leading her physician to conclude a poor quality of life. The ethical dilemma portrayed in this case is between nonmaleficence and autonomy. Health care workers should focus on promoting the patient’s overall wellbeing and weigh the benefits and risks of the course of action, while also considering what the family declares they want done. Since the patient is deemed unable to make decisions, the goal is to collaborate with family, assess patient quality of life, address prognosis, and establish realistic care goals. The ethical principle of …show more content…

Although autonomy is very important, it is significant that the family fully understand all BOOK> To avoid violating autonomy, health care workers must fully understand the involved disease processes, the options available for treatment, and possible outcomes. Strategies There are two different options evident concerning Mrs. Boswell’s treatment options. While considering both options, it is important to teach the family in depth the effects of the dialysis treatments along with her other chronic illnesses. The first option is to discontinue dialysis treatments and place her in a hospice facility. In hospice care, the goal is of focusing on minimizing pain and suffering, rather than to cure. Going to hospice care would allow Mrs. Boswell to forgo her stringent dialysis treatment and provide her comfort measures allowing her to endure her illnesses with optimal pain reduction. Along with treating the sole patient, hospice care allows for family to be there throughout the whole process while being provided bereavement support. The book p. 234 says that nurses play a pivotal role when tending to patients with notable poor outcomes, bringing attention to caring and not curing. The second option to explore would be continuing the dialysis treatments. While considering this option with the family it is very important to stress the hardships that go along with the aggressive treatment. Making the family fully aware of the

Get Access