Case Study Analysis

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Case Study Analysis:

The patient,MMMM, needs a blood transfusion and possibly surgery to save her life as well as the life of her unborn child related to an injury she sustained from a motor vehicle accident. The patient does not want to receive blood products or surgery. The patient's reluctance is related to her faith, which is based upon biblical scripture pertaining to blood. The primary ethical issue in this case is the patient's right to autonomy. There is another dilemma in this case and that is the unborn child is at an increased risk of death should the patient decide against the transfusion or surgery. When an adult refuses a blood transfusion related to religious beliefs despite receiving the information of benefit versus risks, it is considered an informed decision. However, a parent that refuses a blood transfusion for their child based upon this same belief may face legal charges of abuse or neglect and a judicial decision will be made (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2007, p. 456). This raises a precarious ethical dilemma for the health care team related to the principle of the autonomous rights of Juana as well as the principle of beneficence toward her unborn child.

Beneficence is defined as doing or promoting good, preventing harm, and removing evil or harm (Burkhardt & Nathaniel, 2007, p. 62). At what point does the nurse's duty to prevent harm surpass the patient's right to autonomy. This case would likely go before the court taking the decision from the patient as well as the health care providers ruling in favor of the best interest of the unborn child. The use of the ethical theory Deontology and a rationalist school of thought might ease the decision making process for the nurse.

The patient refusing treatment ...

... middle of paper ...

...loodless surgeries are cost effective as blood is more expensive than iron or Procrit, it decreases the risk involved in transfusions such as administering the wrong blood type related to a mistake made in the lab. Bloodless surgeries are on the rise and several hospitals have adopted this cost effective alternative for patients ("Bloodless surgery," 2013). The remainder of this case study analysis will utilize the four-method strategy to investigate the dynamics of this case in more detail.

Works Cited

Burkhardt, M. A., & Nathaniel, A. K. (2007). Ethics & issues in contemporary nursing (3rd ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Cengage Learning.

Safety, cost savings, simplicity back broader use of bloodless surgery [Special section]. (2013, May). OR Manager Inc, 29(5), 1-6. Retrieved from http://www.ormanager.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ORM_0513_01_Bloodless.pdf

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