Nurse refuses to give CPR, senior dies:

Ethical Problem or Legal Issues

An Article Review

Al Francis Mazon

BSEd 1A-4

Mrs. Erlinda Palomera

Instructor Nurse Refuses to give CPR, Senior dies: Ethical

Problem or Legal Issues

I. Identifying the relevant facts

The article is about a licensed nurse (a passer by) who refuses to give CPR to

an 87 year old woman who collapses in the senior residence where she works

because of the company’s policy. The law does not allow anyone, even the nurse

on an independent seniors’ residence, to give CPR being administered by the

911 dispatcher. But even the 911 dispatcher already allowed her to perform

CPR, she refused because it is against the company’s policy.

II. Ethical Issues

In this case, the ethical issue is that whether what happened was an ethical or

legal issue. Is it actually the nurse’s fault on not giving Mrs. Bayless a CPR which

caused her death, or the company’s directive on not allowing anyone to

resuscitate patient.

III. Primary Stakeholders Affected by the ethical decision

In this issue, the first to be affected by the decision was the nurse. Though she’s

only a passer-by, she still have a duty of care even it is not a facility which

provides skilled nursing care. What was written on the American Nurses

Association Code of Ethics for Nurses is clear: The nurses primary commitment

is to the people. Another person to be affected is Mrs. Bayless because she did

not clearly stated that she don’t want any life prolonging intervention. Another to

be affected is the company. On why they don’t allow anyone to do so without the

guidance of the 011 dispatchers.

IV. Possible Alternatives

 The nurse should perform CPR even without calling 911, because it is part

of her profession.

 The nurse should look for someone who will perform CPR with her

guidance while the 911 dispatcher is telling her what to do.

 The nurse should ask anyone from the family if they want to prolong Mrs.

Bayless life.

V. Ethics of each alternative

In the first alternative, the nurse should perform CPR regardless of the existing

policy. Like what is said before, it is her obligation and duty to perform what she

knew as a nurse. I can say that it is more ethical to disobey one rule in order to

save someone than letting someone die just to be legally upright,

On the next alternative, asking someone to resuscitate a patient without

disobeying one policy is also very ethical.

In the third alternative, it is ethical in way of following what one desires to

happen.

VI. Practical Constraints that limit the implementation

The nurse should learn to choose between being morally upright but legally

wrong or Being Legally Right but Morally wrong. Sometimes it is the policy that

hinder us from doing what is morally right. The nurse did not perform CPR

because she believes that it is against the policy. She opted to be legally right

knowing that it is not morally right.

In the other hand, the said facility should not continue implementing that policy. I

am not against the 911 hotline. I am against their policy of prohibiting their

nurses, their employees to perform their duties. Is it ethical to see a health facility
not letting their nurses do their jobs? Is it ethical to see a health facility forbidding

employees to help saving the lives of the others? I don’t think so.

VII. Which alternative should be taken

For me, the best alternative to be taken was to perform CPR to the patient

without calling 911. Since she is a nurse and it’s an emergency, she should try to

prolong Mrs. Bayless’ life without hesitation, without thinking about existing

policy. And though it is Mrs. Bayless’ choice on not to prolong her life, it is still her

duty to do so. Try to think of it, would you like to see a dying old lady while

waiting for someone to rescue her knowing that you can do what she really

need?