The Ethical Use of our Therapeutic Connections with Patients’ Families
“What would you do, doctor?” The family had been explicit in wanting straightforward communication about their child, whose neurological disease had progressed to the point where she was continually seizing, despite every medication the physicians had tried. The seizures were in turn damaging her brain, such that she was minimally responsive to stimuli and was not expected to regain significant awareness of her surroundings.
I held my breath as I anticipated the doctor’s reply. She had spent many hours with this patient and family, and had built trust with the parents.
“As a physician . . . I would transition my child to comfort care and ultimately let her go. But as a mother . . . I would struggle to do this.”
The patient’s mom nodded tearfully. The doctor had given an honest reply, and had still ultimately left the choice to the parents.
I took care of this patient in her final few days of life. The parents were heartbroken but also clear in their decision. We walked them through each step, and made sure they felt supported to the best of our ability, down to their very last goodbye with their child.
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There is power in the medication and therapies we apply. Fluid […]
We have all faced the challenges of moral distress and ethical dilemmas as nurses. As a young pediatric ICU nurse, I saw medicine and nursing help patients in their most vulnerable moments. I also occasionally saw health care extend suffering when palliation and relational care should have been prioritized. Those distressing moments are the ones that still haunt me.
