by Karin Swendsen

Nursing

Janet C. is a 26-year-old housewife who suffers from frequent asthma attacks that require treatment at Survival Community Hospital (SCH). She is the mother of 4-year-old Julie and 2-year-old Jonathan, and is devoted to her husband, Make, who works for Money Marker International, and is frequently out of town. She is normally healthy except for the asthma attacks.

Janet is admitted to SCH during the evening shift with an acute asthma attack. A neighbor had found her in a pool of blood on her kitchen floor and had called for an ambulance. Mike is out of the country on business, and her mother and father are on a Caribbean Cruise. Janet is barely conscious and is in acute respiratory distress. Treatment is started immediately.

The covering physician has called in a "no code" order, should Janet suffer a cardiac arrest in the hospital. As far as the nurses know, the physician's decision was made without discussion with the patient or the patient's family.

Janet has not responded to the medications thirty minutes later. Linda, the nurse in charge of the unit, calls the doctor and is told that he has gone to the New Year's Eve party at Leisure Country Club and is not taking any pages.

Questions:

What should Linda do?

If Janet survives this, what should she do for the next time?

Is the doctor behaving in an ethical manner?