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Providing care with minimal benefit

Nurses and doctors in hospital settings are often troubled with having to care for terminally ill patients with no possibility of making a full recovery. These patients are often in the Intensive Care Unit which is a very stressful environment to work in. After working for several months on a patient who shows no progress, some nurses may feel that their effort is going to waste on a patient who should not be in their care. Cases such as that of Terri Schiavo, who remained in the hospital in a vegetative state for over 15 years due to a lengthy court case between family members is a perfect example for this blog. Not only did Mrs. Schiavo require around the clock care, but she showed no signs of improvement and nurses and doctors were constantly under attack when the court case became public knowledge. As a nursing manager or CEO of the hospital it is important to keep the moral of staff members working in such a stressful situation, although it is often a difficult task to take on.

Although it may be difficult for the families to make decisions about the end of life care, I think it is important for families to understand the role of the hospital. Hospitals are not designed to house patients without any possibility of recovery. They were built to treat, cure, and discharge patients that are able to do for themselves. Although I do believe that families should have all the time they need to make the right decisions for their loved ones, I strongly believe that once the doctor has stated there is nothing else that can be done, families should utilize the hospice facilities. These types of facilities are designed to care for patients who are facing end of life decisions. The staff members are trained to provide quality care and help families make the best choices for their loved ones. Families should not look at hospice care as a place that has given up on their loved ones, rather a place that will provide the best possible care for their loved ones in their current state.