Toronto Med: Ethical Conflict (Team 4)

Description

A patient is admitted to the hospital on Saturday night and is unconscious and showing signs of being anemic, a condition in which the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells. The Nurse is not 100% sure of this diagnosis and needs a blood test to confirm. If the patient is anemic, they would need treatment immediately. The technology in the hospital is down due to a cyber breach creating delays in test results and treatments. There is a delay in the patient's blood work results due to the cyber breach, causing tensions between the Nurse and the Biomed lab coordinator. The Biomed lab coordinator is also at odds with the head of technology management as they are willing to send someone to fix the issue on Monday. The Nurse feels the best option is to go ahead with a Red Blood Cell (RBC) transfusion without waiting for the blood test results. The patient is a Jehovah's Witness, which is a religion that does now allow its members to receive blood transfusions, causing conflict between the Nurse and two of the hospital's Social Workers. The Social Workers believe the Nurse should wait to see if it is medically necessary for the patient to come to or for next of kin to permit the transfusion as it is against the patient's religious beliefs. The Nurse feels this is a medical emergency and wants to proceed with the RBC transfusion.