Reflective Case Study | Registered Nurse
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Running head:REFLECTIVE CASE STUDY
Reflective Case Study
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
Reflective Case Study
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note
REFLECTIVE CASE STUDY1
As a Registered Nurse, I am compelled to take many decisions while being ethically
as well as legally on point. In the current scenario, I am in charge of caring for a 20-year-old
man named John. John is an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) presently suffering
from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). He has been living in a hospice 500 km away from his
home in a remote Indigenous community and is receiving dialysis. He has been given three
months to live on dialysis, but he has decided to go home with no further treatment, which
will drastically shorten his life. This essay sheds light on how I took decisions based on the
legal and ethical expectations, how I was able to provide culturally competent care to John,
and finally, what I learned by reflecting on this experience.
As per our duty, we have sworn to provide care for the patients to the best of our
abilities, and John is no different. I have made sure that he remains as comfortable as
possible, and he is being administered the best possible care. However, now that John has
decided to deny treatment and go home, I am faced with a huge ethical dilemma (Butts &
Rich, 2019). As per the NMBA Code of Conduct for registered nurses, I am required to work
collaboratively with John and consider his wish when making necessary decisions for his
treatment (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au., 2020). According to the Australian Charter of
Healthcare Rights, a patient has the right to make his own decisions regarding his treatment
path (Www2.health.vic.gov.au., 2020). Under common law, any patient has the right to deny
healthcare (ALRC., 2020). However, I am also aware that withdrawing treatment from John
with result in a shortening of his life expectancy. This puts me in front of a big dilemma of
what is the right thing to do. It will involve the interdisciplinary team as we have to talk to
both the patient and his family. At this point, I will comply with his wishes as it is ultimately
his right to decide. For this, I will discuss it with John. At first, I will talk to him to ensure his
mind is healthy, and he is fit enough to make such a critical decision. Once I ensure that his
decision is final, I will make sure that he understands the consequences of his choices. The
As a Registered Nurse, I am compelled to take many decisions while being ethically
as well as legally on point. In the current scenario, I am in charge of caring for a 20-year-old
man named John. John is an Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) presently suffering
from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). He has been living in a hospice 500 km away from his
home in a remote Indigenous community and is receiving dialysis. He has been given three
months to live on dialysis, but he has decided to go home with no further treatment, which
will drastically shorten his life. This essay sheds light on how I took decisions based on the
legal and ethical expectations, how I was able to provide culturally competent care to John,
and finally, what I learned by reflecting on this experience.
As per our duty, we have sworn to provide care for the patients to the best of our
abilities, and John is no different. I have made sure that he remains as comfortable as
possible, and he is being administered the best possible care. However, now that John has
decided to deny treatment and go home, I am faced with a huge ethical dilemma (Butts &
Rich, 2019). As per the NMBA Code of Conduct for registered nurses, I am required to work
collaboratively with John and consider his wish when making necessary decisions for his
treatment (Nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au., 2020). According to the Australian Charter of
Healthcare Rights, a patient has the right to make his own decisions regarding his treatment
path (Www2.health.vic.gov.au., 2020). Under common law, any patient has the right to deny
healthcare (ALRC., 2020). However, I am also aware that withdrawing treatment from John
with result in a shortening of his life expectancy. This puts me in front of a big dilemma of
what is the right thing to do. It will involve the interdisciplinary team as we have to talk to
both the patient and his family. At this point, I will comply with his wishes as it is ultimately
his right to decide. For this, I will discuss it with John. At first, I will talk to him to ensure his
mind is healthy, and he is fit enough to make such a critical decision. Once I ensure that his
decision is final, I will make sure that he understands the consequences of his choices. The
REFLECTIVE CASE STUDY2
interdisciplinary team will talk with his family to understand their point of view. After
completing the required processes, I will comply with his decisions. I will give him and his
family some necessary precautions and points to remember so that the remaining of his days
are as comfortable as possible in his familiar environment with his loved ones around him,
caring for him.
Palliative care is administered to patients to ensure the most comfortable quality of
life to patients in at the end of life. Once John has made his decision, I must acknowledge any
culturally relevant traditions that he may want to uphold and ensure that I help him with
anything that he requires. It is vital to collaborate with the patient successfully and educate
him and his family on aspects of palliative care. It has been observed that there is a high
preference for living amongst the family. John has already expressed his wish for the same.
Also, open communication is highly appreciated, which I always try to adhere to (Shahid et
al., 2018). It is important to make sure that the care administered to the patient is culturally
sensitive and adheres to his beliefs properly. It has been seen that the aboriginals often tend to
'prepare the spirit' for 'coming back from where we came from.' It is believed that death is not
the end of the life, and there is another journey waiting. I must make sure that his and his
family's beliefs and traditions are respected. For this, I would need to understand certain
aspects of his culture in order to become culturally competent. According to aboriginal
beliefs, guarding the spirit of the person is very important. It is believed that the more people
talk about death and illness, the nearer it comes. So it is possible that John might not want to
talk or discuss about what is coming up too much. If that is the case, I will not pester him
with questions or talk about his disease after the necessary formalities are done. It is also
believed that giving a name to the illness helps it progress, so if John wishes not to talk about
it, I would respect his wishes. I would also instruct my team to comply with John's requests.
They also believe in spiritual healing and other beliefs that should be respected (Duggleby et
interdisciplinary team will talk with his family to understand their point of view. After
completing the required processes, I will comply with his decisions. I will give him and his
family some necessary precautions and points to remember so that the remaining of his days
are as comfortable as possible in his familiar environment with his loved ones around him,
caring for him.
Palliative care is administered to patients to ensure the most comfortable quality of
life to patients in at the end of life. Once John has made his decision, I must acknowledge any
culturally relevant traditions that he may want to uphold and ensure that I help him with
anything that he requires. It is vital to collaborate with the patient successfully and educate
him and his family on aspects of palliative care. It has been observed that there is a high
preference for living amongst the family. John has already expressed his wish for the same.
Also, open communication is highly appreciated, which I always try to adhere to (Shahid et
al., 2018). It is important to make sure that the care administered to the patient is culturally
sensitive and adheres to his beliefs properly. It has been seen that the aboriginals often tend to
'prepare the spirit' for 'coming back from where we came from.' It is believed that death is not
the end of the life, and there is another journey waiting. I must make sure that his and his
family's beliefs and traditions are respected. For this, I would need to understand certain
aspects of his culture in order to become culturally competent. According to aboriginal
beliefs, guarding the spirit of the person is very important. It is believed that the more people
talk about death and illness, the nearer it comes. So it is possible that John might not want to
talk or discuss about what is coming up too much. If that is the case, I will not pester him
with questions or talk about his disease after the necessary formalities are done. It is also
believed that giving a name to the illness helps it progress, so if John wishes not to talk about
it, I would respect his wishes. I would also instruct my team to comply with John's requests.
They also believe in spiritual healing and other beliefs that should be respected (Duggleby et
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