Question

Read Chapters 3 and 4, then discuss the following case to the best of your abilities:

THE CASE OF LATOYA AND THE PHYSICAL THERAPY PATIENT

Latoya is in training to become a physical therapist. Dr. B., the head of the Physical Therapy Department, has told her that she helps the patients too much. Many times he has said, “You can’t go home with the patients. They must learn to care for themselves.” Nearing the end of her program, Latoya is doing very well in all her studies, but she fears that Dr. B. will not give her a good performance evaluation unless she can better prepare the patients for independence.
One of her patients, a 72-year-old-woman, recovering from a stroke, is adamant in her refusal to walk with either a walker or a cane. She insists on remaining in her wheelchair because she is afraid of falling. Latoya is sympathetic toward this patient’s fears. She remembers seeing a patient fall during a physical therapy session resulting in a fractured vertebra (bone) in her spine. The woman was, subsequently, bedridden for several weeks while she recovered. In addition, a statement that Latoya heard in one of her classes, primum non nocere, meaning “first of all, do no harm,” has always influenced her behavior. Latoya is very reluctant to force her patient to do something she doesn’t want to do (Fremgen, 2016, p. 56).

In your opinion, is Dr. B. placing too much pressure on a student?

Is this a legal or ethical problem, or both?

Who should Latoya talk to about her dilemma?

How can Latoya balance the benefits and harm of encouraging her patients to do something they do not want to do?

Discuss your role as a medical professional in relation to the physician and other healthcare providers.

Important Notice: Your professor will consider these elements when assessing the quality and level of student participation.

Submit initial post(s) early in the session and subsequent responses to the posts of other learners at timely intervals throughout the duration of the session. The goal is to have a dynamic discussion around the topic that lasts throughout the entire session.

Your original post should be within a range of 75-150 words. If a post does not meet the minimum word count of 75, your professor will not count it toward your grade.

Your subsequent contributions responding to a classmate should have 50 to 100 words.

Book: Medical Law and Ethics by Bonnie F. Fremgen - Fifth Edition

Answer 1

1.In my opinion no Dr B is not pressurizing too much but he should be more elaborative in explaining why Latoya should allow patients for self care when it is time .As her superior he should motivate her to have balance in her clinical care so that they can return to their maximum potential .Here we can see Dr B have tried to correct Latoya many times which she took as a pressure regarding her grade.My point of view is He should try to be more explainative when he is correcting Latoya,so that instead of feeling pressurized, Latoya understands that making a patient self dependant is the greatest outcome of any clinical management.

2.This is an ethical case as it involves Latoya s beliefs and morals.She is so engrossed in her angelic approach to clinical care that she cant understand that she is not even doing good for the patient.

3.Latoya ,if she believes in her too good clinical approach being more practical and also is in constant fear of grades due to Dr B,she can contact the Human Resource department .If they give negative reply she can always resort to her Superior Dr B for help in her clinical approach.She can also take suggestions from her peers and see how they manage such situations.

4.Latoya is too engrossed in the ethical principal of non maleficence that she is willing to go with the clinical care as per her patients wishes.I n this case of the stroke patient, Latoya herself know ambulation is a major recovery milestone for the patient.By sympathising with patient and agreeing with her non willingnes to use walker she is decreasing the patients goal of reaching maximum potential.Here as a caregiver she have to built such a trust and rapport with the patient ,that the patient actually realises in the importance of ambulation.By building trust i mean she can assure the lady she will follow her closely and assure her safety.Also as a good caregiver she have to eliminate the fear from the patients mind by motivating her.Latoya can help in her initial days of walking with the cane or walker.In this way she can balance the benefits and harm of encouraging her patient to do something that she is not willing to do on her own.

5.In my words a good medical professional should foremostly learn to work as ateam with other taem members.She should do routine self evaluation and listen to his/her superior.Though it states a good caregiver always thinks of a patients comforts,consents and rights;sometimes she should keep in mind that being way too sympathetic to patients wishes, she can actually retard their recovery process.Principles of ethics and morales should be used wisely.It is normal for a patient to be adamant in thir opinions out of fear and anxiety.As a good caregiver we should ease their fear or anxiety by getting their trust. We should have more meaningful communication with them.I n this way only we can help a patient raech their maximum capacity and confidence in their recovery phase.That is the most helpful outcome of any medical management.