Please help with case study for Nursing School

[Ireynolds87]

Here is the case scenario.

You have been working in the Critical Care unit for 18 months. one evening john, a 40 year old male patient, was admitted with a serious head injury. He has a history of mental illness and has been living with his 80 year old parents for the last 15 years

After being on life support for 3 days his parents came to the unit and stated they wanted everything stopped and to have him removed from life support. After taking the appropriate measures, the team began to remove the life support equipment. After removing the breathing tube, john opened his eyes and loojked at his family and said " why are trying to kill me?"

as the nurse assigned to john, what do you do?

please help

[cherrybreeze, ADN, RN]

Sorry, John, it's what your parents want! *yank*

This is a silly scenario. Mental illness does not equal mental incompetence - if the guy wakes up, he gets to call the shots. Heck, even if he's mentally incompetent, if he's cognizant, no one is going to pull the plug on him. If the parents still want life support stopped once he wakes up and is talking to them, I'd begin questioning how he got that traumatic head injury

I agree, it is a silly question. But not our silly question to answer. :)

[LA_StudentNurse]

Clearly the homework was designed to make the student think. The student must research the situation, know the laws of the state, info about rights and competency, etc. Quite honestly, there could be arguments made for disconnection or no disconnnection....thank goodness I am not on an ethics committee.

[Ireynolds87]

I'm not looking for an answer but some ideas of where to begin that's all. Such the ethics committee as the above person stated...that's all

[steelcityrn, RN]

Before a patient is removed from life support, a brain scan is taken. This story you present sounds like something on T.V. If by a slim chance this was to occur this way, I would think the situation would turn from ending life to saving it. The family has taken care of him for him many years, I'm sure they value life.

[Anniehow]

One of the job of a nurse is to be patient advocate. I would approach this study from that point of view. Research that, and see where it takes you.

HTH

[firstaiddave908]

I would treat John make sure vitals are stable call the physican and explian the situation and see if the dr would like a neuro consult to come down. I would also possibly call social work down to assess the siutation to see if a long term care facculty would be a good option. I'm Not too sure if that's a good way to go about I am a somphmore in nursing school and haven't taken any critical thinking classes yet.

[dura_mater]

to add its not homework and i haven't seen started nursing school its for a scholarship for nursing school..which makes it difficult to evaluate the situation from a nursing student perspective so please don't be so judgemental. if ur going to help then help if not please do not post!!!! thanks

.

i'm currently in the accelerated bsn program @ kent state university in kent, oh.( outside of cleveland, oh) you need to have a 2.5 in presq. and ur previous degree. www.kent.edu/nursing have further information about the program and u should found contact information for the advisor name is jay hays.

why do people insist upon lying??

[klone, MSN, RN]

To add its not homework and I haven't seen started nursing school its for a scholarship for nursing school..which makes it difficult to evaluate the situation from a nursing student perspective so please don't be so judgemental. If ur going to help then help if not please do not post!!!! Thanks

I'm personally thoughts would be

*to maintain treatment on John

* discuss other options for john with his parents for current treatment I'm the hospital and option for assisted living for him after he leaves the hospital to remove some of the responsible from his elderly parents.

If I help you answer it, you have to split your scholarship money with me.

[GoECU]

Good eye dura mater!

[nicumom]

why do people insist upon lying??

lol...now that was too funny~~~

[LA_StudentNurse]

why do people insist upon lying??

dura_mater, It may not be a issue of lying.

From my understandig of the situation, one can be applying for a scholarship and have been accepted into the accelerated program but not yet taking classes. In my situation, I have been accepted in Indiana State University but yet to receive my acceptance into the Fall LVN-BSN distant learning nursing program. Had I been accepted, I would have applied for scholarships...and may have had do some similar type of essay. Fortunately for me, I am a former malpractice and tax paralegal who decided make an adult career change. The type of essay we are discussing would have been fun to address. Love debating a point...

[dura_mater]

LA_StudentNurse, I agree there could be that circumstance....

However (and not to play semantics here) the OP says in one post that he/she is hasn't seen (even??) started nursing school yet

and then in another post (different thread) the OP says that he/she is currently in the accelerated BSN program

it just sounds fishy to me.....