Assignments

Due by the 23rd 

  

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL DIMINISHED

On the afternoon of May 20, the patient, Mr. Ard, began feeling nauseated. He was in pain and had shortness of breath. Although hiswife rang the call bell several times, it was not until sometime later that evening that someone responded and gave Ard medication forthe nausea. The nausea continued to worsen. Mrs. Ard then noticed that her husband was having difficulty breathing. He was reelingfrom side to side in bed. Believing that her husband was dying, she continued to call for help. She estimated that she rang the call bellfor 1.25 hours before anyone responded. A code was eventually called. Unfortunately, Mr. Ard did not survive the code. There was nodocumentation in the medical records for May 20, between 5:30 PM and 6:45 PM, that would indicate that any nurse or physicianchecked on Ard’s condition. This finding collaborated Mrs. Ard’s testimony regarding this time period.

A wrongful death action was brought against the hospital, and the district court granted judgment for Mrs. Ard. The hospital appealed.

Ms. Krebs, an expert in general nursing, stated that it should have been obvious to the nurses from the physicians’ progress notes thatthe patient was a high risk for aspiration. This problem was never addressed in the nurses’ care plan or in the nurses’ notes.

On May 20, Ard’s assigned nurse was Ms. Florscheim. Krebs stated that Florscheim did not perform a full assessment of the patient’srespiratory and lung status. There was nothing in the record indicating that she completed such an evaluation after he vomited. Krebsalso testified that a nurse did not conduct a swallowing assessment at any time. Although Florscheim testified that she checked on thepatient around 6:00 PM on May 20, there was no documentation in the medical record. Ms. Farris, an expert witness for the defense,testified on cross-examination that if a patient was in the type of distress described by Mrs. Ard and no nurse checked on him for 1.25hours, that would fall below the expected standard of care.

  

Week 3 – Assignment

Legal Risks of Nurses

Analyze the case of Mrs. Ard on page 259 of Legal Aspects of the textbook.  Answer the following questions:

a. What happened?

b. Why did things go wrong?

c. What were the relevant legal issues?

d. How could the event have been prevented?

e. What is your verdict?

Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  Utilize a minimum of three scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last five years. One may be the course textbook and two must be from one of the databases in the Ashford University Library. All sources must be documented in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the

Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week

1

– Assignment

Health Care System in Turmoil

Discuss why the current health care system is in turmoil.  Identify two major problems of health care and analyze the impact of each of the chosen problems on consumers and the community.  Describe the benefits and risks of national health insurance. 

Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  Utilize a minimum of three scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources (not including your course text) that were published within the last five years. All sources must be documented in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the 

Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

 for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 2 – Assignment

Respondeat Superior

Discuss Respondeat Superior including the following components:

a. Introduction that includes the thesis statement (Content criteria #1)

b. Describe the meaning of the legal doctrine, Respondeat Superior. (Content criteria #2)

c. Provide at least two examples of cases where the doctrine was applied and analyze whether or not the doctrine was applied fairly to each of the examples. (content criteria #3)

d. Conclusion (included in #1)

Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  Utilize a minimum of three scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last five years. All sources must be documented in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the 
Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 4 – Assignment

Virtues and Values

For this assignment differentiate virtues from values. Discuss the characteristics of both.

a. How do they affect one’s character? How are they acquired? How can they be helpful in resolving health care ethical dilemmas? (content criteria #2)

b. Identify and discuss a health-related case in which virtues and values played a part. Discuss application/and interpretation of these virtues and values in your selected case.  (content criteria #3)

c. Make sure you have an Introduction and Conclusion (content criteria #1).

Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  Utilize a minimum of three scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources (not including the course textbook) that were published within the last five years. All sources must be documented in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the 
Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Week 3 – Assignment

Legal Risks of Nurses

Analyze the case of Mrs. Ard on page 259 of Legal Aspects of the textbook.  Answer the following questions:

a. What happened?

b. Why did things go wrong?

c.

What were the relevant legal issues?

d. How could the event have been prevented?

e. What is your verdict?

Your paper must be three to five double-spaced pages (excluding title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.  Utilize a minimum of three scholarly and/or peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last five years. One may be the course textbook and two must be from one of the databases in the Ashford University Library. All sources must be documented in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the 
Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
 for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

CHANCE OF SURVIVAL DIMINISHED

On the afternoon of May 20, the patient, Mr. Ard, began feeling nauseated. He was in pain and had shortness of breath. Although hiswife rang the call bell several times, it was not until sometime later that evening that someone responded and gave Ard medication forthe nausea. The nausea continued to worsen. Mrs. Ard then noticed that her husband was having difficulty breathing. He was reelingfrom side to side in bed. Believing that her husband was dying, she continued to call for help. She estimated that she rang the call bellfor 1.25 hours before anyone responded. A code was eventually called. Unfortunately, Mr. Ard did not survive the code. There was nodocumentation in the medical records for May 20, between 5:30 PM and 6:45 PM, that would indicate that any nurse or physicianchecked on Ard’s condition. This finding collaborated Mrs. Ard’s testimony regarding this time period.

A wrongful death action was brought against the hospital, and the district court granted judgment for Mrs. Ard. The hospital appealed.

Ms. Krebs, an expert in general nursing, stated that it should have been obvious to the nurses from the physicians’ progress notes thatthe patient was a high risk for aspiration. This problem was never addressed in the nurses’ care plan or in the nurses’ notes.

On May 20, Ard’s assigned nurse was Ms. Florscheim. Krebs stated that Florscheim did not perform a full assessment of the patient’srespiratory and lung status. There was nothing in the record indicating that she completed such an evaluation after he vomited. Krebsalso testified that a nurse did not conduct a swallowing assessment at any time. Although Florscheim testified that she checked on thepatient around 6:00 PM on May 20, there was no documentation in the medical record. Ms. Farris, an expert witness for the defense,testified on cross-examination that if a patient was in the type of distress described by Mrs. Ard and no nurse checked on him for 1.25hours, that would fall below the expected standard of care.1

Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS

1

Legal aspects

Malodree Johnson

MHA 622 Health Care Ethics & Law

Robert Smiles

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Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS

2

Legal aspects

Introduction

The citizens of United States of America seek medical care when they are under detriment to

their health. The healthcare centers that are visited to seek medical treatment are the medical

facilities like the hospitals. This is the places where the meet professionals who tend to take care

of them so as they can gain their health back by passing through step by step appropriate

measures to ensure you are cured. In an advent of a malicious cause of death into the patient life

like that of Mr. Ard, and inquisition is necessary so as to avoid the same mistake when dealing

with another patient in the future. As discussed below is a legal aspect of the death of Mr. Ard

which was reported and filed in the court for the damages which were cost by the hospital in

offering the medical service.

What happened?

On May 20th, Mr. Ard who was seeking medical assistance from East Jefferson General Hospital

where he was experiencing pain and shortness of breath. In an attempt to help in terms of

medication, he was administered a nausea medication by the nurse because he was too nauseated

but the medication did not help nausea that the as the situation worsened with time. After some

time, Mr. Ard could not breathe irking Mrs. Ard to press severally the call button for

approximately 1.25 hours before a nurse really picked up the call. Unfortunately, it was too late

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1

1. The citizens of United

States of

Malodree, be sure to indent

the first sentence of each

paragraph per/APA

formatting.

[Robert

Smiles]

Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS 3

as the patient was already in distress making the nurse to declare a distress code however the

patient did not survive (

Pozgar & Santucci, 2016).

Why did things go wrong?

In dealing with the condition of Mr. Ard, things went wrong when the nurse and the doctor had a

patient experiencing an aspiration problem but did not take measures which are appropriate in an

event of respiration distress. In accordance to an expert in general nursing, it states that the nurse

was aware of the condition of the patient since the doctors’ progress note showed that Mr. arb

was a high-risk patient because of his aspiration.

What were the relevant

legal issues?

The medical facility caused a number of legal infractions causing the death of the patient. The

relevant legal issues that were available include the no nurse or doctor came to see the patient for

almost 1.25hours during the ringing of the phone contributing to his death. Mr. Ard life would

have been saved if the nurse would have taken appropriate assessment this results on the side of

the nurse malpractice. Additionally, the nurse failed to conduct a swallow assessment of the

patient at any time the patient puked. The patient was never done a full assessment resulting in

the death of the patient died within nurse’s scope. The nurse again failed to check the patient

aspiration even though the doctor’s progress note indicated that the patient is at great risk due to

his respiration.

How could the event have been prevented?

The unfortunate death of Mr. Ard could have been prevented if only the nurse could have done a

full assessment of the patient. Observing the nurse, it appears the nurse obviously did not read

the patient’s physician progress to let him or her know that the patient was really under high risk,

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1
2

1. as the patient was

already in distress making

the nurse to declare a

distress code however the

patient did not survive (

Pozgar & Santucci, 2016).

Malodree, you provided

excellent cited content;

however, be sure to also

provide an analysis after the

cited information such as

when, where, how, why, or

who is affected by the cited

content? [Robert Smiles]

2. patient experiencing an

aspiration problem but did

not take measures which

are appropriate in an event

of respiration distress. In

accordance to an expert in

general nursing, it states

that the nurse was aware of

the condition of the patient

since the doctors’ progress

note showed that Mr. arb

was a high-risk patient

because of his aspiration.

What were the relevant

legal issues?

The medical facility caused

a number of legal

infractions causing the

death of the patient. The

relevant legal issues that

were available include the

no nurse or doctor came to

see the patient for almost

1.25hours during the

ringing of the phone

contributing to his death.

Mr. Ard life would

have been saved if the

nurse would

Malodree, how do you know

this information? According

to? Keep in mind, your APA

papers are research papers,

not opinion based papers,

thus the need to back up your

claims with in-body citations.

[Robert Smiles]

Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS 4

therefore, she would have dedicated her time and assessed the patient in a step by step measures

lengthening the patient’s life. The time that was lost in the calling of the nurse when in panic

would have saved the patient instead of responding to the call past 1.25 hours which led to

deterioration the health status. This would have saved time to put the patient into the respirator to

help the patient on breathing caused by trouble in breathing which could have ensured the

appropriate actions being undertaken to avert the disarray which caused the death of the patient.

What is your verdict?

Mrs. Ard is entitled to malpractice compensation according to my verdict. This because the death

of his husband, Mr. Ard was due to the actions caused by the hospital and the nurse. There are

many signs of negligence by the nurse like the long waiting time in the panic button on the

excuse of being busy, lack of concentration the patient’s physicians progress which would have

let her know the status of the patient and even know the measured in a step by step way during

the assessment ensuring that the patient was put on a respirator which could have saved the

patient (Wolper, 2004). On the other hand, the hospital too is held liable since are supposed to

provide adequate care to the patient to ensure their safety (Rostant, 1999). In this hospital, the did

not offer the patient care by not availing enough number of nurses to take care of patients to

avoid loss of time like the one of Mr. Ard for almost 1.25hours which lead to herself.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the importance of understanding the responsibility of a medical staff is necessary

for the medical facility I saving someone’s life. In the death of Mr. Ard life, it is evidential that

negligence and misappropriation cost the life of Mrs. Ard husband. This explains why every

detail in the hospital in a step by step measured in assessing a patient is crucial in playing of

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1

1. therefore, she would

have dedicated her time

and assessed the patient in

a step by step measures

lengthening the patient’s

life. The time that was lost

in the calling of the nurse

when in panic

would have saved the

patient instead of

responding to the call past

1.25 hours which led to

deterioration the health

status. This would have

saved time to put the

patient into the respirator to

help the patient on

breathing caused by

trouble in breathing which

could have ensured the

appropriate actions being

undertaken to avert the

disarray which

Again, how do you know this

information, be sure to

include cited information, your

paper reads as an opinion

based paper. [Robert

Smiles]

Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS 5

having a person’s health gained. The medical staff should ensure that all the patients they receive

are offered ultimatum services for their survival. This will make people to feel safe in the

hospital when they seek medical services in the hospitals since surety are ensured for them till

they get better.

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Running head: LEGAL ASPECTS 6

Reference

Pozgar, G. D., & Santucci, N. M. (2016). Legal aspects of health care administration.

Rostant, D. M. (1999). AWHONN’s liability issues in perinatal nursing. Lippincott Williams &

Wilkins

Wolper, L. F. (2004). Health care administration: Planning, implementing, and managing

organized delivery systems. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

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