Ethical Case Study

Ethical Case Study Ethical decision making in healthcare are guidelines used to assist nurses in carrying out their responsibilities in a manner that is consistent with the ethical standards regarded in the profession. The standards are in place to hold the professionals accountable and maintain the quality of nursing care in an ethical manner (code of ethics for nurses). There are situations that arise during a nurses daily task that may require him/her to make independent decisions that may cause devastating consequences to their profession, their employers and to their patient. We will examine a case study concerning a Medical Assistant/LPN named Jerry. Apparently Jerry is left alone in a medical office while the receptionist is at lunch. He receives a phone call from a patient requesting a refill of Valium from his doctor, who is also his friend. The patient states that he is flying and the doctor always gives him Valium when he flies out of town. Jerry is alone in the office by himself to make the decision as to how he can help their patient, who is also a personal friend of the doctor. The following questions to be addressed in this scenario are: 1. Does Jerry's medical training qualify him to issue this refill order? why or why not? Valium is a medication use to relieve several symptoms. One being anxiety and restlessness. Although Jerry may empathize with the patient, he cannot or should he ever call in a refill or prescription to a pharmacy without the authorization of his physician. LPN's are not licensed to work independently. They perform task under the direction of a RN or Physician. Valium is a narcotic and may also require a written script to the pharmacy in some states. 2. Would it make a difference if the medication was for controlling high blood pressure that the patient critically needs on a daily basis? Why or why not? Jerry could implement the 3-step model when evaluating an ethical dilemma. He would