Week Four Paper will address and answer the following three sets of questions:

•                                             FOR QUESTION ONE:

Read the  article, “Protecting Yourself from Malpractice Claims” found at

https://americannursetoday.com/protecting-yourself-from-malpractice-claims/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Read the article, “Nurses, Negligence, and Malpractice” found at:

http://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?article_id=423284 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Read the article, “7 Legal Tips for Safe Nursing Practice”    (you will need to copy and paste the link below into your browser)

7 legal tips.pdf  (INCLUDED AS ATTACHMENT)

1. In connection with the readings relating to negligence/malpractice answer the following:

a. What was the most important information you gained from these articles?
b. What are the elements that must be present for there to be a valid claim of negligence?

Comment on this scenario: A comatose patient is admitted with a UTI. The RN documents turning the patient every 2 hours, but actually did not. The UTI resolves and the patient is discharged without any other changes in prehospital condition.

c. Was the RN negligent? Why or why not? 
d. Was the RN’s behavior ethical, why or why not? 
e. Would any of your answers change, and if so how,  if the patient had developed a bedsore during the hospitalization?

 

                                                        FOR QUESTION TWO:

Read the summary of Supreme Court case that reviewed Oregon Death with Dignity Act found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonzales_v._Oregon (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Read the story of Brittany Maynard found at:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/11/02/brittany-maynard-as-promised-ends-her-life-at-29/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 Read the case of Gonzalez v. Oregon, found at:

http://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=17055043890936848595&hl=en&as_sdt=2&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Read “ Legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide: the illusion of safeguards and controls” found at:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3070710/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Review State-by-State Guide to Physician-Assisted Suicide found at:

http://euthanasia.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000132 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 

1. In connection with the topics of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, address the following:

a.       What is the difference between Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide?
b.      Explore your thoughts and feelings on the legality of assisted suicide and euthanasia. Should Florida follow Oregon?
c.       What guidance on this topic is found in the ANA Code of Ethics (Hint: Interpretive Statement to Provision One)?
d.      What is ANA’s position on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as expressed in its Position Statement on the topic?

 

                                                          FOR QUESTION THREE:

Read the article, “How We Die” found at: and answer question three. 

http://tuftsjournal.tufts.edu/2010/03_2/features/03/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

1. What actions could have been taken to prevent this situation from occurring? Describe how refusing treatment differs from euthanasia or assisted suicide.