(2023-24 FA) NURS 516 A - Lgl & Eth Prin to Hlth Care Ldrshp

Week 9: October 23 - Legal & Ethical Mandates for the Most Vulnerable in Health Care

• Week 9: October 23 - Legal & Ethical Mandates for the Most Vulnerable in Health Care

  • Select activity This week we will examine a rather sensitive and s...

    This week we will examine a rather sensitive and sometimes difficult topic - legal and ethical issues related to death and dying. Besides the readings, I provided a PowerPoint presentation by Dr. M. Mahon, from George Mason University. She is a nurse ethicist and has served as Chairperson of the Ethics Committee at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She has done extensive research in relation to end of life issues. In her presentation she offers another model for ethical decision making that has become quite popular in the clinical literature by Jonson, Siegler, and Winslow. If you want more information about that model, I have referenced the book. We will use that model for working through the case for this week. 
    
    Learning Objectives for this week

    Learning Activities for this week 

    1. Darr - chapter 10
    2. Review thePowerpoint by Dr. Mimi Mahon, RN PhD
    3. Article by Su et al., (2020) - meta analysis of surrogate decision makers
    4. Article by Robinson (2017) - when surrogates want to keep going
       
    5. Article by Flaherty & Meurer (2023) - about end-of-life doulas as surrogates
    6. Article/case study entitled "Before He Wakes"from the Hastings Center Report. This case study will be the focus of our zoom discussion, responding to the case based on your learnings from the other readings.
    7. Participate in our synchronous zoom session on Thursday, October 26 at 7pm. See course zoom link at the top of the page. 
       • Be prepared to participate in the following way. In the first half of the session the "committee" will work through the case provided for our meeting using the ethics decision-making model described by Darr on page 45. 
       • In addition, in the second half of the session several other analytical questions will be discussed regarding how your organization handles ethical issues related to death and dying.
       • At the end of the meeting Don will discuss Assignment #2.
    8. Submit a reflection forum response by Saturday October 28. You do not need to respond to your class peers.
       

    Week 9 References

    
    

    
    
    

  • Select activity Forum Week 9 - Reflections on Case Analysis

    

    Forum Week 9 - Reflections on Case Analysis

    Reflect on the following:
    

    1. Regarding our committee processes:

    • Did we as a committee consider all stakeholder perspectives?
    • Should the committee have made another recommendation?
    • What questions are still nagging you about the case?

    2. Regarding the readings: 

    • identify one area within your organization/department that needs further improvement in relation to the legal and ethical perspectives concerning end-of-life issues. 
    • How might the readings provide beginning answers for improvement? 
    • How might you approach colleagues in your work setting as they express their feelings or beliefs about EOL?  Another way to look at this - how might you respond if they come to you as the nurse seeking personal advice about EOL issues they are experiencing?

    3. What else jump out at you, surprise you or concern you from the week's activities?