Reference no: EM133636683

Question: Case Summary for Discussion Board 5: You are a respiratory therapist (RT) working in the step-down unit of a 700-Bed acute-care hospital. One of your patients is a 79 year-old male who was admitted last night for hypoxemic respiratory failure associated with stage-four lung cancer with metastasis to the spine. Since admission the patient has been requiring more support from a high-flow nasal cannula. He is currently on settings of 70% oxygen and a flow of 60 L/M, and has a SPO2 of 91%, RR of 32 and HR of 110. He complains of bouts of shortness of breath as well as moderate to severe pain in his spine and ribs. He is currently a "full code" because his wife (who is his medical POA) wants it that way. However, he complains that he does not want to be kept alive by a machine or other artificial means. He states that he has "fought the fight and is tired".

Create your initial post on this discussion board in response to the following:

Which of the four foundational ethical principles discussed in Module 1 is most relevant to this situation and why? What recommendation could you make to the interprofessional care team to help respect his wishes and potentially reconcile the patient's wishes with his wife's beliefs. Distinguish between a DNR order and POLST and the potential role which each could play in this case. Also, describe the benefit of this patient having an advanced directive.