Nursing Ethics Case Study: The Twins

The case study that I chose was from Nursing Ethics Journal is titled, The twins: a case study in ethical deliberation. This case presents a nurses perspective about nine year old, Roman Catholic, Hispanic twins, who survived a very difficult preterm birth and were in a persistent vegetative state since childbirth. The parents took care of the twins along with their four other children, but the growing demand of the twins was starting to take a toll on the parents, so they decided to place the twins in an institution. From the time that the twins were admitted to the institution, they have been frequently admitted to the hospital related to respiratory illnesses and urinary tract infection, which were a result of their deteriorating immune system. The nurse’s role was to obtain a do not resuscitate (DNR) order from the parents due to the doctors stating the twins have less than a year left to live, and “why prolong the inevitable?” (Freysteinson, 2009).
The parents who cared for the twins since birth, had a profound respect and love for their children. Being devout Roman Catholics, both the mother and father believed in prolonging their lives, even in cases of cardiac arrest, they ought to be saved. The

First, the parents could take the children under their own care again. Second option is not signing the DNR form and reviving the children. Third, allow pulmonary resuscitation, but not cardiac. Fourth is sign the DNR and let the children pass when their condition deteriorates. I believe that the parents needed a comfortable middle ground to let their children pass away. I believe what they chose in the case study would be the best outcome for the children and the parents. The inevitable death would come sooner or later, and letting them pass away naturally by cardiac arrest would provide enough comfort for the parents to know they did not perform any bodily harm, and reduce their quality of