Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment
Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment
UPDATED DUE DATE: Monday, October 17th by 11:59 pm.
Using academic peer-reviewed literature, research how critical thinking is applied in professional practice when it comes to problem-solving and ethical decision-making. What are common obstacles experienced with critical thinking and the nursing process?
You may discuss how critical thinking is applied to a healthcare related scenario of your choosing involving problem-solving and ethical decision-making. Here are a few examples of cases below. I want to see your discussion focused on the critical thinking and ethical aspects of the case you choose. You may select from one of the cases below or choose your own. I also would like you to discuss common obstacles the pertinent parties faced in their respective situations and how/when they used critical thinking to overcome the obstacles. Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment
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Select eight (8) peer reviewed scholarly journal articles I would like to see 6 of 8 of your literature be from scholarly journals, and you may select 2 additional resources of your choosing, such as reputable news articles, etc.
Articles should be from 2017 to current I am willing to be lenient on the 2017 rule since some of these cases occurred before 2017. Leniency is dependent upon your sources being credible and relative to your subject matter. Sources should enhance and support your paper.
Literature review sections
Introductory paragraph
Body
Provide a summary on each article
Give an overview of the research purpose and outcomes
Where possible, discuss the significance of findings in relation to the literature as whole
Mention any noticeable weaknesses or strengths
Conclusion
Summarize the key findings and take-away
Connect closing back to introductory paragraph
APA writing style
Review must include a title and reference page
There are no page minimums, maximum should be 8 pages including the title and reference pages
Here are the ethical case examples Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment
1. Terri Schiavo: A legal battle involving prolonged life support
2. Brittany Maynard: The Right-To-Die Movement
3. Dr. Anna Pou and Memorial Hospital: the days following Hurricane Katrina
4. Jason Patric and Damian Adams: The parental rights of sperm donors and their children
5. RaDonda Vaught: medication error made by a nurse results in a patient’s death
6. Ella Grace Foster and Mariah Walton: when parents refuse medical treatment for their children based on religious beliefs
7. Dr. Jack Kevorkian: physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia
Introduction
The care of Theresa Marie Schiavo (also fondly known as Terri) is widely cited as one of the most significant ethical case and critical-thinking dilemma that shaped the right-to-die movement. This paper combines relevant empirical and conceptual evidence on the Terri Schiavo case, further highlighting how critical thinking and ethics were applied to facilitate problem-solving and ethical decision-making. The discussion also examines some of the common obstacles experienced with critical thinking and the nursing process. It also interrogates how the pertinent parties involved in the Terri Schiavo case employed critical thinking to overcome the core obstacles that surrounded the legal battles involving prolonged life support Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment.
Case Summary
The case of Terri Schiavo is considered to be both heart-breaking and controversial. In 1990, Terri collapsed at her home and suffered a severe cardiac arrest due to massive brain damage based on subsequent medical examinations. After three months without improvement, she was diagnosed by various doctors to be in a persistent vegetative state. For 15 years, a series of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (including occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech therapy, experimental therapy) were attempted with the hope of returning her to a state of awareness, without success (Annas, 2005). The case entailed various legal motions, 14 appeals, many hearings and petitions in a number of Florida courts. The legal battles between Schiavo husband and Terri’s parents ended after the court upheld the initial decision to remove the hydration and feeding tubes, among other paraphernalia that had been used to keep her alive. At various phases, the patient was described as comatose, vegetative, brain dead, locked-in, minimally-conscious and disabled (Rajczi, 2019)Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment. After the removal of feeding tube on March 18, 2005, Terri died on March 31 aged 41 years, after being in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years.
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Literature Review
A key area where critical thinking aspects were applied in the Shiavo’s case was on the different viewpoints held by Michael Shiavo and her parents. Rajczi (2019) established that whilst the husband argued that his wife would never have wished to live in a persistent vegetative state, and her only wish will be to be allowed or assisted to die. On the other hand, her parents strongly disagreed and launched a highly spirited fight to keep her alive. Terri (2019) asserted that individual end-of-life decisions demand a great deal of critical thinking capabilities in order to spur ethical decision-making and to decipher the conflicting perspectives held by different parties involved in these cases. Annas (2005) agreed that Shiavo’s case revealed a scenario where not making end-of-life choices can create warring circumstances where an individual’s final fate becomes a major source of conflict between feuding parties, legislators and judges. These sentiments are shared by Soroko (2018) who pointed out that the case of Terri Schiavo entailed critical thinking aspects based on the manner it triggered contested debates over end-of-life, right-to-die and quality of life issues. On the contrary, Domingue (2019) insisted that the subsequent legislative and institutional interventions that characterized Schiavo’s case became a critical task that involved many parties including legislators and judges. Bodi (2022) explained that Terri was not a terminally-ill patient, and the ultimate decision by the critical care hospital to keep Terry alive while in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years was largely informed by the legal and ethical complexities surrounding physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. Critical thinking plays a fundamental function in the ultimate decision by the court to remove the hydration and feeding tubes and other life-support medicine and equipment from the patient as the only means to hasten her death, which apparently was already inevitable and imminent Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment.
On the other hand, medical ethics and ethical principles were also applied in Schiavo’s case. Rajczi (2019) mentioned that that ethics in the case of Schiavo arise from the importance attached to a number of ethical principles and values including patient autonomy, liberty, beneficence, non-maleficence, due diligence, dignity, and other rights including the right to life. Moreover, Young (2021) noted that a number of ethical issues in Terri’s case included the end-of-life guardianship, whether withdrawing or withholding the feeding tubes is the same as physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia, and whether there was a better way to determine whether the decision made by the courts was based on their attempt to do their best to honor her life by grant her a dignified and respectful end or based on the value of Terri’s life. In this context, the centrality of ethical decision-making and problem-solving in Schiavo’s case is explicitly informed by the common understanding that the patient had not left a written advance directive, and since she was unable to communicate, any end-of-life decision must at least accommodate what is described as individual autonomy (Bodi, 2022)Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment. In other words, the courts’ decisions may be been largely informed by the need to place more attention on the rights and autonomy of Terri Schiavo without family as well as state and/or public contributions. Bodi (2022) explained that the cross-examinations and witnesses’ accounts provided solid arguments and convincing evidence that enabled the judge to determine that the patient would not have desired to live in such a medical state, where she had suffered irreversible neurologic damage.
With regards to obstacles experienced by the parties, Soroko (2018) established that Terri’s case became a highly spirited legal, medical and ethical controversy. This is because the public discussion of the tragedy sought to find answers to complex legal, medical and ethical questions that involving prolonged life support. Koch (2005) added that the whilst the decision by the court to side with Schiavo’s husband, who was her legal surrogate, marked a turning point in the legal battle, many obstacles emerged from the struggles between the right of husband versus parents. Critical thinking and ethical decision-making was applied in this case when the Michael was identified as the guardian on both legal and moral grounds, and hence he enjoyed leverage over her parents when it came to making the ultimate decision on whether to continue or remove the gastronomy tubes that had kept her mentally-alive and interactive despite her being in a permanent vegetative state Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment.
Conclusion
The case of Terri Schiavo involved a good deal of critical thinking and ethical decision-making based on the many legal, medical and ethical dilemmas and issues that surrounded the end-of-life scenario. Application of critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making aspects in such cases can help to create a solid understanding of the unique story behind the tragedy, and adopting tailored, and evidence-based interventions to accommodate the disparate worldviews help by the different parties regarding Terri’s case. As an incapacitated patient, Terri’s case presents man core ethical issues that should be further investigated and discussed.
References
Annas, G. J. (2005). “Culture of life” politics at the bedside — The case of Terri Schiavo. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(16), 1710-1715. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmlim050643
Bodi, M. (2022). Right place, right time: Facilitating end-of-life conversations. The Journal of Family Practice, 71(2). https://doi.org/10.12788/jfp.0333
Domingue, P. R. (2019). Recognition of right to die with dignity and comparative approaches to adoption of laws on palliative care and end-of-life. Perspectives of law and culture on the end-of-life legislations in France, Germany, India, Italy and United Kingdom, 167-178. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783845296777-167 Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment
Koch, T. (2005). The challenge of Terri Schiavo: Lessons for bioethics. Journal of Medical Ethics, 31(7), 376-378. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2005.012419
Rajczi, A. (2019). The ethical issues raised in health care debates. The Ethics of Universal Health Insurance, 54-80. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190946838.003.0003
Soroko, S. I. (2018). Study of human adaptive possibilities during prolonged stay in autonomous life support system. https://doi.org/10.18411/j.raenjourn.s2018-2
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Terri, B.M. (2019). “Reading” the body of Terri Schiavo: Inscriptions of power in medical and legal discourse. Literature and Medicine, 28(1), 33-54. https://doi.org/10.1353/lm.0.0044
Young, S. (2021). Understanding rights in the context of a “right to die”. Regulating the End of Life, 127-141. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429329739-11 Critical Thinking And Ethics In Nursing Practice Essay Assignment