Question

207 Upholding Legal and Ethical Principles CHAPTER 12 ASE STUDY-cont'd rcampletely undetectable blood pressure, which nurses attributed to malfunction- s equipment. On day 4, the staff spent 2.5 hours looking for a blood pressure cuff detect his blood pressure. Twelve attempts were made to take his blood pressure ing seven different cuffs. On November 6, 2000, Lewis died of an NSAID-induced denal ulcer es bet you have learned about legal and ethical issues surrounding health care arsider the following questions: What legal and ethical duties were breached? Why Wihat do you think facto were the factors involved in the health care providers' failure to escue? hysiciar rationale for your failure to contact a supervisor or the attend- can as Lewis's condition deteriorated? ssurme you were explained your prim ewis's primary care nurse over the weekend. How would you vu should be held d accountable for this tragic outcome? you have done differently, and why? of Hal

Answer 1

1.The legal duties like informing to the supervisor or to the in-charge is not done when the nurse was missing the appropriate cuff for reading blood pressure.It is an act of malpractice

The ethical breach being the patient not monitored at the right time by the nurse and has caused harm to the patient .The nurse violated the principle of monmaleficience by causing suffering to the patient and thus has cost the life of patient

2.The main factors involved in the healthcare provider's failure to rescue is the nurse action of not informing the provider in regards to patient BP and plan for care and thus prevent complication

3. Though a explanation for a wrong deed is not encouraged ,at times this can be explained by the nurse saying that there was a Lack of appropriate equipment to monitor the patient and was in search of the right sized cuff to the patient to provide care and intervention to save the patient

4.The management or incharge for not maintaining adequate equipment .Secondly the nurse breach of not informing the detoriating condition of the patient.

5.The things which can be done differently are

• Having a clear knowledge in the prognosis status of the patient's disease condition
• Being aware of the place of extra equipment
• If there is no way,a code blue or and RRT could have been activated to save the life of the patient.