How would you feel if your wishes as a patient were not respected? As nurses, we are trusted individuals in the public’s view due to many factors; however, when there is a lack of accountability within team members, there can be many risks involved. In the scenario with Jacob, a 32-year-old patient, his wishes as a DNR advanced directive were not respected. A registered nurse named Lashanda usually works on another unit, however, was sent to Jacob’s unit to cover the staff who are out for lunch. Everything seems to be going well with Lashanda; however, when she finds Jacob unresponsive, she calls a code and begins CPR without being familiar with Jacob’s DNR order. It is every nurse’s responsibility to be aware of their assigned patients’ orders as part of holistic care, while respecting the patient’s wishes. By …show more content…
Furthermore, Jacob’s lung condition has set only some restrictions on his lifestyle because has been able to work and continue to be involved in church. Upon admission, Jacob’s wishes was to have his advanced directive as DNR if anything were to happen to him. Although the treatments other than resuscitation are not stated, I believe he would be treated with an antibiotic (if infection is bacterial) to fight the infection as well as oxygen at times of respiratory distress. Jacob is 32-years-old, which, like Lashanda, others would consider him young and wanting anything done to keep him alive. Furthermore, it is the patient’s wishes that a nurse must be familiar with and follow setting aside his or her (nurse) values or beliefs. As stated in an article, “The principle of autonomy is usually associated with allowing or enabling patients to make their own decisions about which health care interventions they will or will not receive” (Entwistle, Carter, Cribb, & McCaffery,