Question

PK, a competent, middle-aged woman diagnosed with a terminal illness feels that she cannot go on. The patient, receiving hospice care lives in her home with her spouse and one adult child. For the last couple of weeks, she has been talking to the community based hospice RN about the demands she is putting on her family, her physical suffering, and the mental stress on all of them. Now PK indicates she is considering ending it all. She asks the RN to help hasten her death. Consider the HPNA Position Statements to assist with this assignment. Initial Discussion Post Consider the legal and ethical implications of this situation, a potential request for euthanasia and/or assisted suicide by: 1. Identifying the RN's legal responsibilities in such a situation 2. Identifying how the RN can best interact with this patient and meet their legal responsibilities 3. Identifying whom the RN would discuss this with, to develop a team intervention plan

Answer 1

1. The RNs legal responsibility in this situation is to communicate the need of the patient to the physician and then her relatives and take decision on the same. 2.The RN can best interact with the patient by encouraging the patient to express her concerns about ending the suffering she is having currently And then communicate the patients need to the physician and patients relatives and checking the legal aspects of euthanasia or assisted suicide in the state 3. The RN should first discuss it with the treating physician , with the relatives , and with the other health care staffs to prepare the intervention plan for the patient .