Ethics in practice – video
Video exercise
This scenario is taking place at a ward at the Department of Infectious Diseases during the spring term of 2023 which is considered a post-pandemic era regarding COVID-19. There are still patients with COVID-19, but the situation is very different from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We now know a lot about the virus, how the COVID-19 infection can be treated in different patient groups and about the personal protection for the healthcare staff. However, a huge challenge for the healthcare staff is to be updated and informed about the latest evidence and how it should be applied in patient care.
Case
Karin is a nurse at the ward, she has worked there for four years. Today, one of her patients is Doris, a 52-year-old woman who had a heart transplant two years ago. She was admitted to the infection ward 10 days ago due to a COVID-19 infection. Initially, Doris had a high fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Today she is feeling a little bit better; she has no fever but still needs oxygen (3 liters), and she feels fatigued. Doris needs support with ADL. Nurse Karin has made an appointment with physiotherapist, Julia, who will meet Doris for the first time to make a physiotherapy plan for her.
Task:
Watch the video. Write a reflection paper (0,5 page) addressing the following questions:
- What happened in the situation? (in general)
- What went well in the situation?
- What values / ethical principles were in conflict in the situation?
- How would you handle this kind of a situation?