Problem
You have been assigned to care for Mr. Bandura, a 98 year old male who was admitted with pneumonia. He also has a history of diabetes and congestive heart failure. Until a few days before his admission, he was independent with his activities of daily living, including monitoring his blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as taking his medications. He developed a fever and cough and rapidly declined. You notice that his pulse is now weak and threadlike and his respirations are shallow with crackles present on auscultation. He is now too weak to respond to you.
Through discussion with the son and daughter you observe that they are both demonstrating anxious and distraught behaviours. They state that they do not wish for any heroic measures to be taken nor for their father to be kept alive on 'machines'. There is no record of a Power of Attorney (POA) or Mr. Bandura's wishes on the chart.
• Which ethical values may be in conflict in this scenario?
• What next steps might be appropriate for the nurse to take in this scenario?
• Provide a rationale for your selected course of action.?