250 word discussion board reply with two scholarly sources and at least one biblical reference. Below is the post that needs to be replied to:
Do not provide
COLLAPSE
As a layperson, it is easy to see this as a benign issue that does not bring ethics into view. You have someone that needs medicine and cannot afford it, and someone that can provide it for free. It is not even stealing since it is a free sample. However, as a health care provider, this has to be viewed with more scrutiny. The text book describes it as being able to look in the mirror while committing the act in question (Judson & Harrison, 2019). Health care providers are 1-held to a higher standard, and 2- are aware that there are not only legal and ethical consequences, but also a possibility of a medical problem and even a medical emergency.
At first glance, the glaring issue is that a nurse is not licensed to prescribe or distribute medications without a direct or standing order. To give the medication would be outside of her scope of practice. Beyond that, she could also be responsible if the patient were to have an adverse reaction to the antibiotics. Lorraine advised that she had taken these medications before, however, an allergy can develop over time. Without a prescription in her record, if she were to show up with shortness of breath, diaphoresis, and hypotension: even a trained medical eye may not realize the possibility of an anaphylactic reaction since there are no new medications or environmental changes. Even further; with repeated infections and antibiotic use the patient could easily develop antibiotic resistant strains of infection. Lorraine could end up with a severe infection and doctors would not know that she had already taken an antibiotic. Treatment would be likely repeated without response and the infection would spread (Nathan & Otto, 2014). A bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity test would be required which takes a minimum of 48 hours, in order to find the next appropriate antibiotic that would affect the infection. With all of these details in play, it suddenly does not sound quite as straightforward!
I personally have been put in this predicament before. I was the medical administrator for a jail medical department. Due to the nature of the facility, we had many stock medications and standing orders in order to quickly assess and treat the more common of issues. I had co-workers and friends that were always trying to get medication, arguing that I could give it to inmates-why not to them? I hated being put into that position. I had friends that needed help and for the most part, I knew what needed to be done. Several times, I straight up declined or told a little white lie: “I don’t have the appropriate antibiotic for that” or ” I am low on stock or out”. However, there were times that I was very concerned for someone’s health. I would involve the jail physician who would do a quick assessment, assign the proper treatment, or order the appropriate test. Sometimes reaching out is the best thing when someone is truly at risk. It is important to get the consent of both the patient and the doctor before hand so no one feels backed into a corner.
Biblically speaking, we are told to care for the sick, “I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them injustice”. Ezekial 34:16 ESV However, we are also told not to steal or do harm. We can help the sick and injured by leading them to the appropriate treatment.
Judson, K. & Harrison, C. (2019). Law and Ethics for Health Professions. 9th edition. McGraw-Hill Education.
Nathan, C., & Otto, C. (2014). Antibiotic Resistance Problems, Progress, and Prospects. The New England Journal of Medicine, 371(19), 1761-1763. http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1056/NEJMp1408040
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