Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
Critical Care Nursing /

Legal question?/ What would you do?



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,184 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.

Jul 07, 2009 12:16 PM

Legal question?/ What would you do?


I'd love to get some feedback on a situation that happened recently during the night. We coded a patient twice within a few hours; by the time the second code started the family was all present including the husband. The next of kin approached the nurse and wanted the pt to be made DNR and the MD gave a telephone order for that. The pt had been on pressors prior to the code but was hypertensive afterwards d/t all the epi given. When the bp started dropping again the family requested to have the medication kept off, in other words they decided that they wanted only comfort measures. At this point, however, (about 5am) no one could get the intensivist on the phone after multiple pages/calls to the answering service.

So my question at this point is, does next of kin have the right to refuse medications in the same way that a pt can refuse medications, and does it make a difference that the pt would soon die without said medications?

Ethically speaking, in this situation I would want to honor the family's wishes (they were an intelligent, caring, lovely family) but do I have legal ground to stand on?


Share

Search Tags
None
Top

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Reply
1 Comment
No. 1
from wishInew
Old Aug 23, 2009, 02:21 PM

Default Re: Legal question?/ What would you do?
Well then what ,if a patients daughter is saying the wrong person is appointed POA, she is challenging this and wants to see Admission Papers,and the Risk management is refusing to allow a meeting, I wanted to help and I know the daughter is right! State Law is when a person is single the Children are the Next of KIN,this Patient signed "NO POA/No Advanced Directives, and discounts the old one ,to facility as well as members of family pre admission Old POA from 2003. It is now 2006. She is insisting that Patients SISTER is not who he wants,as his POA. This patient is post CABG, ">24 hrs emergency " bleeding evaluation",RE-Entry something was very wrong,I knew it, Then there was a rule out for needle count. We were instructed to say Nothing to this daughter. She was terrified for her father. To see her praying and asking,yet staying calm,in fear of her removal
Patients NOK simply wants a second opinion,and if his state is futile then Hospice. This patient later remained on vent, received blood 6 months, moved to forth floor to a HH.NOK's visits were limited by Risk management,and then was removed, she filed and made too many complaints. She was allmost desperate for her father and his comfort,stated he is being tortured and aunt is allowing this ,I am his POA not her!,and the Allowed POA ,a aunt was not active in care,only responded with yes,or a derogatory remark towards patients NOK,like daughter will give pain medication to patient,and POA stated she/NOK made threats. I perceived this as a Power Struggle and nothing less.
What could I have done,This haunts me to this day. What would happen if I located this NOK and told her what I know,really happened,it has been 3 years and statue has passed. It repeats in my mind this poor woman. I should have gone to some one?
Top
 
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
389 members
3,490 guests
3,879

10

16th Philly area hospital to stop delivering babies: Mercy...

0

Really interesting article on Indian open hearts

0

High-Tech Pump Does What Her Heart Can't

0

Air Force RN Force RN Found Not Guilty

3

Hospital Falters as Refuge for Illegal Immigrants

6

California Imposes Stricter Rules Regarding Drug Abuse In...

28

Are older nurses being forced out of the profession?

3

An outlook in California?

8

Australian surgeons successfully separate conjoined twins

44

Disruptive behavior by doctors, nurses persists a year...






Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address: