Description
Assignment Content
1.
Read the following case study from the Center for Practical Bioethics:
oOur Pregnant Daughter Didn't Want This...
Complete the Questions for Discussion following the case.
Summarize the case, explaining the legal and ethical aspects of it.
Research and explain any laws that pertain to the situation.
Define and explain the ethical principles that pertain to this case.
Determine if the legal and ethical responsibilities are in alignment with each other.
Explain how you would recommend this care team resolve the situation by answering the following questions:
oWhat specific details of the case require resolution?
oWhat specific actions should the organization or nurse take to ensure an appropriate outcome?
oWhat resources and dependencies exist for your recommendation?
Format your assignment as an 875- to 1,050-word paper.
Cite at least 3 peer-reviewed sources published within the last 5 years.
Note: At least 1 of the sources should provide evidence for your resolution recommendation or plan of action.
Include an APA-formatted reference list.
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Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY
Legal and Ethical Responsibility
Name
Institutional Affiliation
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LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY
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Discussion Questions
Q1. Legal justice needs to be sought for Janet and her parents. This can be achieved by advising
the parents to seek legal justice. From the case, it is seen that there is a development of a new tier
requiring new interpretation altogether. Evidently, there is a special law that prevents Janet from
seeking hospice care following the fact that she is pregnant. This law needs to be redone and a
proper preventive measure realized. It has been shown that patients need at least surrogate
involvement (Torke et al., 2014). For the case of Janet, the husband who would have supported
her is already dead from the accident, and so it is the parents who need to offer the necessary
support. The parents will be actively involved in making decisions once the special law has been
interpreted.
Q2. The health care issues determine the underlying values of the healthcare of a woman during
pregnancy. In this case, the underlying value is that keeping the pregnancy should be prioritized
and that other contingent services are declared of “no effect” (DeMartino et al., 2017). Such
interpretations are always overlooked, making most people unaware of them. As a result, there is
always a myriad of health complications thereby interfering with the wishes of the patient.
Q3. This statute is agreeable. This is based on the ground that this statute prioritizes the life of
the patient even in the condition of pregnancy. Evidently, patients have the right to chose to stay
in a vegetative state in case this will cause more suffering to the family as well as the life of the
unborn. The statute also offers a chance to reconsider the law for the benefit of both the patient
and the family (Torke et al., 2014). Therefore, the statute holds for the case of Janet.
Q4. As Janet’s parental surrogate, I would decide that she should be kept in a condition that is
comfortable while minimizing pain as well as suffering. This can be achieved by advising Janet
LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY
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to surrender to the care of the doctors to ensure that the unborn are kept comfortable throughout
the developmental stages until the delivery stages (Pope, 2017). Therefore, keeping the
pregnancy would be beneficial to Janet, unless the doctors have found that keeping the
pregnancy could be detrimental to the life of Janet.
Q5. The case presented here is quite sensitive making it challenging to determine the fate of the
unborn child. Therefore, only relatives or Janet’s parents should be surrogates for the child. This
choice is informed by the fact that it will allow Janet to live the plans they established with the
husband regarding the child that Janet is carrying. Apparently, having a stranger would not be
suitable to make surrogate support for the child because of the issues with attachment. The
surrogate also needs to understand the needs and wishes of Janet. Therefore, it would be good if
that is Janet’s parents who better understand her and have a close connection with her.
Summary of the Case
The case of Janet as presented is about a dilemma that arises between continuing
proposed hospice care or coming up with new decisions that...