Lifesaving Surgery: A Case Study

Amelia is working a late shift as an emergency room nurse when a family comes in with life threatening injuries as a result of a car accident. Amelia gets assigned patient Lauren Wild, the mother of the family. Lauren is suffering from extensive abdominal injuries that will most likely kill her if she does not undergo surgery immediately. When Amelia asks if Lauren consents to the lifesaving surgery, Lauren refuses to give consent until she knows how her children and husband are. Amelia promises Lauren that she will get an update on the Wild family and report back. When Amelia asks for a status of the other car accident victims, she discovers Lauren’s husband, Bradley, was dead upon arrival from his head trauma, and that Lauren’s oldest
Lauren will eventually learn the truth of her family’s outcome from this tragic event, but right now, Amelia and the team of doctors’ main concern is the health of Lauren. If Amelia decides to lie about Lauren’s family, Lauren will be more likely to consent to her lifesaving surgery. Perhaps if the truth were revealed, then Lauren may not consent and her condition could worsen to a point that the surgeons cannot repair. Amelia is the nurse that has to decide whether or not to tell Lauren the true condition of her family. As a mother of four, Amelia knows that if Lauren were to know the true condition of her daughter, Zoe, that Lauren may not consent to surgery. Also, as a mother, Amelia knows that she would be upset if someone withheld information about the wellbeing of her children. As a nurse, Amelia vowed to act in the best interest of her patients. Is the best interest of Lauren to know the truth of her family’s health, or to have information withheld from her to undergo surgery to save her life as soon as
Ends based, utilitarianism thinking is making a decision that produces a positive outcome for the majority of individuals. As part of a hospital team, Amelia must apply utilitarianism style thinking, as long as Lauren’s wellbeing and health is not jeopardized as a result. The individuals (besides Lauren) being considered in the utilitarianism style of thinking are the team of doctors and nurses that are working in the emergency room and members of Lauren’s family. In her current state, Lauren will not be helpful to her family, and it will be easier for the team of doctors and nurses to access and tend to Lauren’s injuries now, before they