Pharmacological And Medical Technology Advances - 1510 Words

Imagine having to make the decision to take a loved one off a ventilator or removing a tube feeding. What would they want? Would they want to live in a nursing home, connected to â€Å"tubes,† possibly without a means to communicate or care for themselves? How would they define â€Å"Quality of Life†? Have you ever discussed with them what their wishes are if they are unable to speak for themselves? Have they discussed it with family or friends? Did they write their wished down anywhere? Would it make the decision easier if you knew you’re loved one’s wishes? Can you feel the stress, anxiety and dread overcoming you? Unfortunately this scenario occurs every day. Pharmacological and medical technology advances have prolonged life through the development of life sustaining therapies such as antibiotics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes and hemodialysis (HD). While prolonging life, it has also raised the qu estion of quality of life and thus the need for end of life planning by individuals. Unfortunately, laws have been unable to keep pace with medical advances. There have been several well publicized cases involving end of life care for persons in a persistent vegetative state and the request for withdrawal of life sustaining therapies (e.g. Karen Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan) that have brought this topic to the fore front of public attention and resulted in legal precedence concerning an individual’s wishes for end of lifeShow MoreRelatedAdvanced Directives : An Underutilized Means Of Communicating Ones End Of Life Wishes1597 Words   |  7 Pageshappen to you. Pharmacological and medical technology advances have prolonged life through the development of life sustaining therapies such as antibiotics, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), mechanical ventilation, feeding tubes and hemodialysis (HD). While these advances prolong life, they has also raise the question of quality of life. This results in the need for end of life planning for everyone. Unfortunately, laws have been unable to keep pace with medical advances. There are severalRead MoreSports Will Either Be A School Of Virtue Or A School Of1254 Words   |  6 Pagesbe a school of virtue or a school of vice, and that s why the epidemic of cheating in professional sports is, and ought to be, a huge cultural concern† (Landry, 2012, para. 1). Professional sports are littered with cheating scandals and as technology advances so will access to new and clever techniques. There are many ways to cheat in sports, such as fixing games, placing bets on teams, lying about your age , and the biggest one of them all, taking performance enhancing substances. Doping is a matterRead MoreMedical Environments Can Create Anxiety, High Levels Of Anticipation And Fear Essay1607 Words   |  7 PagesMedical environments can create anxiety, high levels of anticipation and fear. These emotions will not help the patient during their health crisis. It is the responsibility of the healthcare provider and staff to find ways to alleviate these feeling. The hospital employees must put themselves in the patient’s shoes and attempt to imagine how the patient is feeling. Discovering different approaches to help patients find effect methods of pain control can create challenges. Medication is not alwaysRead MoreJoin A Medical Mission At The United States1733 Words   |  7 Pagesare asked to join a medical mission to a specific place outside of the United States. If I were to join a medical mission, the place that I would go to would be the Fiji Islands. The reason why I c hose this location is because I was born in Suva, Fiji. I was only six weeks old when my family and I immigrated to America for a better life and education. When I was eight years old, I visited Fiji for the first time and noticed a lot of poor, impoverish communities lacking medical career and resourcesRead MoreThe Competency Of Nursing Students Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesExamination†, 2016). Locations to take the exam were very limited and had to be big enough to accommodate many people at once, since the test was only offered twice a year, and in order to take it, student nurses had to register about six months in advance by mailing in their approval to test (Johnson Kappel). The exam was given using paper and pencil, and for every thirty-five students, a retired nurse was hired as a proctor (Johnson Kappel). The questions were the same for all the students inRead MoreJoin A Medical Mission At The United States1733 Words   |  7 Pagesare asked to join a medical mi ssion to a specific place outside of the United States. If I were to join a medical mission, the place that I would go to would be the Fiji Islands. The reason why I chose this location is because I was born in Suva, Fiji. I was only six weeks old when my family and I immigrated to America for a better life and education. When I was eight years old, I visited Fiji for the first time and noticed a lot of poor, impoverish communities lacking medical career and resourcesRead MoreOsteoporosis Is A Major Public Health Concern That Greatly Affects The Elderly Population1548 Words   |  7 Pagesthe three months following a hip fracture.1 From a financial standpoint, osteoporosis accounts for an estimated $19 billion per year of medical costs. Financial strain on an individual with osteoporosis is roughly $45,000 for a fractured hip.1 These figures illustrate the significant affects this disorder can cause. From a medical perspective, technology advances and an increased knowledge and fo cus on treatment and prevention continue to aide in reducing the effects and prevalence of osteoporosisRead MoreThe Importance Of Patient Safety And Accurate Reporting1067 Words   |  5 Pagesmedication administration. It is the responsibility of the nurse to practice safe patient care and have responsible knowledge of medications. All too often, however, medication errors do occur. Over 733 nurses surveyed in a study by Urima University of Medical Sciences, have exposed the occurrences of medication errors, the reasons that these errors transpired, and how they feel they could have been prevented. Along with making the actual errors, reporting them is also a major barrier to safe, honest nursingRead MoreSample Resume : Nurse Retention Strategies883 Words   |  4 PagesNRSE: 4060 Transition to Professional Practice November 2, 2015 Identification The never ending nurse shortage looms constantly as a reminder in the healthcare setting that with the increase of human population, superior medical technology, major changes to the nation’s medical healthcare, that this nursing shortage is predicted to worsen. The past four years have seen a steady rise in hospital turnover rates. More than 40% of the currently working registered nurses (RNs) will begin to approach retirementRead MoreTimely Notification Of Critical Values And Adverse Results Essay1467 Words   |  6 Pagesessential between the Laboratory, various Radiology Departments, Nursing Staff within the treatment units, Medical Staff, and Pharmacy personnel. The laboratory involvement would include all levels of personnel from the phlebotomists who draw blood, to the technicians who process and result the samples, to the section managers who report the adverse or critical values to nursing and medical staff. An effective collaborative policy would include timeline requirements for notification of critical values