Nursing Ethics: End-of-Life Issues in Health Care Ethics

Running head: NURSING ETHICS 1
Nursing Ethics
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date

NURSING ETHICS 2
Relevant End-of-Life Issues in Health Care Ethics relating to the Case Study
Several end-of-life issues relate to Tony’s case. For instance, autonomy, where the client
has the freedom to make decisions about his or her health (Bossaert et al., 2015). However, if the
individual is incapable, a surrogate makes decisions for the patient. In this case, Tony has
suffered brain damage and cannot decisions. The family has the right to make decisions for the
patient. Another issue is the restriction of care and futile therapy. Expensive modern treatment
such as ventilation may be futile in some case leading to increased healthcare costs (Bossaert et
al., 2015). There is a need for shared decision-making in case treatment is ineffective during end-
of-life to reduce healthcare costs.
Termination of Life Support
The hospital should remove life support because the patient suffered brain death which
cannot be reversed. The most appropriate principle of ethics, in this case, is justice. It would be
unfair to provide life support to the dying patient, Tony whose brain damage cannot be reversed.
Instead, the therapy should be provided to other patients in the facility, mainly because there are
limited resources (McDermott-Levy, Leffers & Mayaka, 2018). Furthermore, futile therapies
increase healthcare costs. However, the hospital should explain to the family and make a shared
decision.
My view is not supported by our professional code of ethics which, in this case, is the
nursing principle of ethics. Non-maleficence states that nurses should not perform interventions
that would harm the patient. In this case, removal of life support is against non-maleficence
because the family will consider it as harmful to the patient.
My view is consistent with the mission of the local hospital. To illustrate this, the
hospital’s mission is to provide quality healthcare to the community at affordable prices