Problem
You met your new patient: Mrs Angela Mariotti is a 72 year old woman who has a terminal disease. She is living in a nursing home, as her husband can no longer care for her. As a result of her tumour she is no longer able to eat solid food without choking. Her food consistency has been downgraded to pureed, by the speech-language pathologist. Mrs Mariotti has been found to be competent to make her own decisions.
You come back from your lunch break and find her very upset, with her own lunch scattered across the floor of her room, shouting in her mother tongue. Her out-of-town daughter is visiting and has left the room, crying.
When you talk to Mrs Mariotti you find out that she is tired of pureed food and is demanding to eat pizza. You explain that solid food will likely cause her to choke and if she aspirates, will likely get pneumonia, and may even die as a result. Mrs Mariotti says she understands and is prepared to take the risk. She tells you, "This is no way to live. If I have no quality of life, what really is the point? I love my food...my real food, not this baby food you keep bringing me. I know the risk and I will take my chances."
Summarize your thoughts and post your answers to the following questions in this discussion post.
a) What are the key ethical issues?
b) Which team members would be involved?
c) What is the nurse's professional responsibility and obligation in this situation
d) What might you discuss with the clinical ethicist about your role?