The nurse is caring for a dying patient. Which intervention is ...

[jwb375]

The nurse is caring for a dying patient. Which intervention is considered futile?
 
  a. Giving pain medication for pain
  b. Providing oral care every 5 hours
  c. Administering the influenza vaccine
  d. Supporting lower extremities with pillows

Question 2

During a severe respiratory epidemic, the local health care organizations decide to give health care workers priority access to ventilators over other members of the community who also need that resource.
 
  Which philosophy would give the strongest support for this decision?
  a. Deontology
  b. Utilitarianism
  c. Ethics of care
  d. Feminist ethics

[covalentbond]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: C
Administering the influenza vaccine is futile. A vaccine is administered to prevent or lessen the likelihood of contracting an infectious disease at some time in the future. The term futile refers to something that is hopeless or serves no useful purpose. In health care discussions the term refers to interventions unlikely to produce benefit for a patient. Care delivered to a patient at the end of life that is focused on pain management, oral hygiene, and comfort measures is not futile.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Utilitarianism focuses on the greatest good for the most people; the organizations decide to ensure that as many health care workers as possible will survive to care for other members of the community. Deontology defines actions as right or wrong based on their right-making characteristics such as fidelity to promises, truthfulness, and justice. Feminist ethics looks to the nature of relationships to guide participants in making difficult decisions, especially relationships in which power is unequal or in which a point of view has become ignored or invisible. The ethics of care and feminist ethics are closely related, but ethics of care emphasizes the role of feelings.

[jwb375]

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