Question: An Older Man Brought His Wife To The ED After She Complained All Evening Of Having Heartburn. The Physician Determined The Wife Had Suffered A Massive Heart Attack And Initiated Orders For Admission. He Told The Husband That There Was Not Much Hope Because The Heart Attack Damaged Most Of The Heart Muscle. The Physician Showed The Husband A Do Not Resuscitate…

An older man brought his wife to the ED after shecomplained all evening of having heartburn. The physiciandetermined the wife had suffered a massive heart attack andinitiated orders for admission. He told the husband that there wasnot much hope because the heart attack damaged most of the heartmuscle. The physician showed the husband a do not resuscitate form,pointing out what they could do for his wife. The nurse had thehusband sign the forms and told him that his wife would be sent tothe intensive care unit. The husband stayed with the wife after shewas admitted to the unit. After 2 hours, the wife told him, “I’mreally not feeling very good.” The husband yelled for help and twonurses came into the room. They told him that it was almost theend. At this point, the husband became irritated, telling them todo something to save her. The nurse sat with him and showed him theDNR form. Confused, the husband said, “I thought it was telling mewhat they would do for her, not that they wouldn’t do anything tosave her. I can’t read what it says without myglasses.”

The International Code for Nurses states, “Thefundamental responsibility of the nurse is fourfold—to promotehealth, to prevent illness, to restore health, and to alleviatesuffering.”

1. Did the nurses in this scenario follow the code fornurses in caring for the wife? Did the nurses in this scenariofollow the code statement in caring for the husband?

2. Was it their responsibility to include the husband inthe care provided for the wife?

       How doesveracity, the duty to tell the truth, apply to thisscenario?

3. Was it overlooked in the care given to the husbandand/or wife?

4. Were there additional actions that should have beentaken?

5. You are part of a group of nurses who are asked toevaluate the ethical reasoning involved in the situation. She askedthem to review the facts, identify the ethical issues, and considerpossible courses of action and related outcomes. Based oninformation from chapter 19, describe how you would evaluate thescenario.