Problem
You are caring for a terminally ill 68 year old male, who has his DNR paperwork in order. You were present yesterday when he spoke to his wife about his wishes to not have further treatment, to be intubated, or coded. His wife is his 'durable power of attorney for healthcare' and fully aware of patient's DNR wishes. You are in the room when the patient dies. The wife screams, 'do something' and demands you call a code. What are the legal and ethical considerations?
A. How are the seven universal ethical principles (virtues) of nursing applied to the dilemma?
B. What are the benefits of looking at this ethical dilemma from the perspective of virtue ethics?
C. Do you think that it would be possible for the ethical dilemma to be resolved based upon virtue ethics alone?