You be the Judge

Assignment Description:

The following specifications are required for this assignment:
• Length: 1500 words; answers must thoroughly address the questions in a clear, concise manner.
• Structure: Include a title page and reference page in APA style. These do not count towards the minimum word count for this assignment.
• References: Use the appropriate APA style in-text citations and references for all resources utilized to answer the questions. Include at least three (3) scholarly sources to support your claims.
• Don’t forget to do an introduction and a conclusion and make sure your Turnitin score is <20%.

Read the case study presented at the end of Chapter 8 (Guido, p.133) which begins, “The patient was hospitalized for extreme low back pain…”
• Was there informed consent for the initial medications given to the patient?
• How would you determine that informed consent had been given for the MRI and the medications needed for sedation for the test?
• Was the informed consent deficient to the degree that there was a lack of informed consent for the patient for the second dose of medications?
• How would you decide this case?
Read the case study presented at the end of Chapter 9 (Guido, p. 150) which begins, “Jimmy, a Floridian, has undergone two liver transplants.”:
• What questions would you anticipate the judge to ask Jimmy to ascertain his level of maturity, understanding of the full consequences of his lack of action, and possible alternative reasons for requesting that he be allowed to make his own medical decisions?
• How should the judge evaluate the mother’s response to her son’s request?
• Does the state of residency factor into the judge’s decision?
• Are there additional issues that should be addressed prior to deciding the outcome of this case?
• How would you decide the case?
Jimmy Chang, a 20- year- old college student, is admitted to your institution for additional chemotherapy. Jimmy was diagnosed with leukemia 5 years earlier and has had several courses of chemotherapy. He is currently in an acute active phase of the disease, though he had enjoyed a 14- month remission phase prior to this admission. His parents, who accompany him to the hospital, are divided as to the benefits of additional chemotherapy. His mother is adamant that she will sign the informed consent form for this course of therapy, and his father is equally adamant that he will refuse to sign the informed consent form because “Jimmy has suffered enough.”
You are his primary nurse and must assist in somehow resolving this impasse.
• What do you do about the informed consent form?
• Who signs and why?
• Using the MORAL model, decide the best course of action for Jimmy from an ethical perspective rather than a legal perspective.
• Now decide the best course of action based on a purely legal perspective.
• Did you come to the same conclusion using both an ethical and a legal approach?