The Nurse And The Physician - 1575 Words

The nurse and the physician did not utilize moral reasoning, a process of considering and selecting approaches to resolve ethical issues, when giving information about a â€Å"Do not resuscitate (DNR)† form to the husband of the patient in ICU (Zerwekh, 2013, p. 420). When the physician showed the husband the DNR form, it stated that the physician pointed out what they could do for the patient. In this case, it is perceived that the physician highlighted the parts of the DNR form that would coerce the husband into signing the form, while leaving out what the hospital will no longer do for his wife once this form is signed. In a study, it was found that many physicians lack the specific communication skills that result in complete informed†¦show more content†¦The doctor’s and the nurse’s intentions were to do what was best for their patient and believed that signing a DNR was the best decision. This describes the ethical principle of beneficence in t hat; the doctor and the nurse were performing their professional duties by doing what was best for their patient. However, though the doctor and nurse were acting with good intentions, they both failed to properly educate the patient’s husband on the information stated in the DNR paperwork. They also did not make sure that the patient’s husband was in the proper learning state. They did not make sure he could read the information, nor did they check for understanding of the information. Had the doctor or nurse implemented these things, the patient’s husband would have been fully aware of the documents he was signing. This describes the ethical principle of nonmaleficence; which is defined as the duty to prevent or avoid harm, whether intentional or unintentional. The doctor and the nurse did not have the intention of having the patient’s husband sign a DNR that he did not understand. However, their lack of education and assessment of successful edu cation led to a decision that could end his wife’s life. Though the husband was not aware of the repercussions of signing the DNR for his wife, the nurse and doctor are forced to honor the actions stated in the signed document. This ethical principle is known as fidelity;