Ethical Dilemmas In The Emergency Room

An ethical dilemma most people think of is ones code status. In my recent experience working in the emergency department, I have participated in resuscitating many elderly individuals. Even when their code status says full code, their power of attorney is telling us to perform all efforts to save the individual. It puts the physician and staff in a sticky situation in which we have seconds to decide. In all circumstances I have been involved in, the physician orders to resuscitate the patient as if their code status stated full code. The physician will usually bring the family into the room where we are attempting to resuscitate the patient. This way, the family can see all of our efforts to save the patient. When the time comes and