SCCM Resource Library-Moral Community and Teamwork in the ICU

Pdf Summary

The document is a case study from the Spring 2023 issue of Critical Connections, exploring ethical challenges and teamwork in the ICU. It details the case of a 62-year-old man in the neuro-ICU with a hemorrhagic stroke and severe complications. Despite the family’s initial optimism about his recovery, his condition worsened, raising questions about the continuation of aggressive treatment. The patient’s wife, who is the surrogate decision-maker, and their adult children held differing views about his treatment goals. An attending physician decided to maintain full code status following a virtual family meeting. A bedside nurse raised concerns about the lack of team input in this decision, prompting an ethics consultant to emphasize the importance of team collaboration in making such decisions. This led to a team discussion to clarify treatment goals, considering the patient’s preferences and values.<br /><br />The document emphasizes the importance of collaborative decision-making among healthcare teams to improve patient outcomes and upholds ethical obligations. It criticizes traditional non-collaborative hospital environments and advocates for models that emphasize interprofessional communication, mutual trust, and shared decision-making. Additionally, it highlights the role of hospital policies in fostering team-based decision-making processes. Authors Elizabeth G. Epstein, Mary Faith Marshall, Chinyere O’Connor, and Margarita M. Ortiz contribute their expertise in nursing, ethics consultation, pediatrics, and medical law, advocating for enhanced teamwork and ethical practice in critical care. <br /><br />Furthermore, the document promotes joining the Ethics Knowledge Education Group to foster discussion and collaboration on ethical issues in critical care.

Asset Subtitle

Professional Development and Education, Administration, 2023, 0:06:30

Asset Caption

"This article was first published in the Spring 2023 issue of Critical Connections.

Modern medical practice ice is couched in a morally pluralistic society; it is a complex endeavor, often juxtaposing clinicians’ professional, ethical, and legal obligations. Because clinical judgments involve so much more than clear-cut, straightforward forward diagnoses and treatments, modern medical practice addresses this complexity by organizing healthcare teams. It is imperative that other healthcare specialists become part of a patient’s care team, supporting an interdependent robust decision-making process based on the patient’s condition, preferences, and values.

Critical Connections, the critical care industry’s only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team."

Meta Tag

Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Professional Development and Education

Knowledge Area Administration

Membership Level Associate

Membership Level Professional

Membership Level Select

Tag Staffing

Tag Team Leadership

Year 2023

Keywords

ethical challenges

teamwork

ICU

hemorrhagic stroke

surrogate decision-maker

collaborative decision-making

interprofessional communication

shared decision-making

ethics consultant

critical care

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