My best friend in nursing school was ordered to terminally sedate a stroke patient.

[Love767]

He was comatose and given little chance of recovery (but was breathing on his own). His family wanted nothing to do with the guy because they said he was a child molestor. A medical review board at the hospital made the decision. Here's what bothers me. My friend was ordered to give 2mg/hr IV. (as needed), but told that he would need the medication every hour. Our instructor said that this will kill most patients within a couple of days, and that respirtory depression wasn't "such a bad way to go". She said that this is done in hospitals everywhere only it's just not called what it is. I'm not sure how I feel about euthanasia (there are good arguments on both sides), but the point is that I thought that it was currently illegal in the United States. Is this true or is my instructor just wrong about this dose killing most people within a few days? If it is true is this really common or what? Seems like an attempt to implement a policy (euthanasia) without a public debate on the issue.

[bluesky, BSN, RN]

I don't see how a student would be allowed to a)use a PCA or b) IVP morphine. Most programs I know prohibit both. Something sounds fishy with this story...

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

I don't see how a student would be allowed to a)use a PCA or b) IVP morphine. Most programs I know prohibit both. Something sounds fishy with this story...

Ya know, you are absolutely right, bluesky! With all the moral/ethical debate, I totally missed the part where a student was being allowed to push morphine!

[jnette, ASN, EMT-I]

Sometimes being right means doing the "wrong" thing.

Again, I agree with you, sbic, and wholeheartedly so.

I would reword the above, however to "Sometimes being 'wrong' means doing the right thing." :)

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Ya know, you are absolutely right, bluesky! With all the moral/ethical debate, I totally missed the part where a student was being allowed to push morphine!

Well...if you go to this school of nursing, it's permitted:

http://web.uccs.edu/bethelstudenthandbook/iv.htm

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Again, I agree with you, sbic, and wholeheartedly so.

I would reword the above, however to "Sometimes being 'wrong' means doing the right thing." :)

Yup...I like your choice of words; same intent, but you said it best!

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Ya know, you are absolutely right, bluesky! With all the moral/ethical debate, I totally missed the part where a student was being allowed to push morphine!

Students can't push morphine??????????? Been so long I forget, but I'm pretty sure in my surgical rotation I pushed narcs.

[sbic56, BSN, RN]

Students can't push morphine??????????? Been so long I forget, but I'm pretty sure in my surgical rotation I pushed narcs.

I believe it must vary...we couldn't in our program, but after doing a quick search, (see above) I found a place that had it's use in their student guidebook. Thinking of it now, it is crazy to not let a student do it with the instructor present, as then, they go on the floor with absolutely no clinical experience in doing it and have to learn to do it in orientation. Must be a liability issue that the schools just want no part of.

[Angelica]

I pushed morphine as a student.

[KBnursestudent]

Often, when a family decides to remove a patient from the ventilator and all other life sustaining medications we have morphine standing by ready to push. Most families that want to be in room when their loved ones die have great difficulty with the agonal breathing that occurs right before death. Most doctors order this pushed to spare the family. I have ethical questions about this practice but I have never refused to push the morphine. If this is active euthanasia then I suppose I am guilty. However, I will continue to help those in need (patient and family) ease the burden of dying.

Speaking if the pt were me, I woudl say taht if I were dying and I were in pian and agony with breathign.(my worst fear is to die of suffication or horrible pain) I would much rather them allow me the comfort of sleeping through my death. If the guy is agonizing with labored breathing and there are orders to push the meds then why not make the guy comfortable?

[KBnursestudent]

I believe this assignment is inappropriate for a student. Whether or not this was an appropriate course of action for the pt. is hard enough for working RNs to figure out, students should NEVER be put in such a position.

I agree that a student should never be asked to do this. If I were that student I would tell my instructor taht I was very uncomfortabel with this and could she reccomend the assignment be given to a nurse in the hospital.

[ExquisiteRevelation]

But no one (instructor/student/staff) should ever commit an aact that cannot be discussed due to "implications". Like the bit with the side rails, if they are restraints, then the MD better darn well write an order...or better yet explain to the public why enacting "restraint free" laws impair our ability to protect the elder population. To turn a blind eye to such things, just leads to more really stupid legislation. I have a problem with an instructor that would do something that she did not think was 'discussible" - that I find inappropriate.

Very well put.

[CCU NRS]

Uh......I think this post was in jest, was it not?

I may be wrong but the post I was responding to did not seem to be jest to me looking back I see the chuckling man in front of it and the party guys at the end so perhaps you are right or perhaps the poster was just really happy a child molestor was dead