A 1-month-old infant in the neonatal intensive care unit is dying. his parents request that a nurse give the infant an opioid an
algesic. the infant's heart rate is 68 beats/minute and his respiratory rate is 18 breaths/minute. he is on room air; oxygen saturation is 92%. the nurse's response to the parents' request should be based on the fact that:
Providing analgesia during the last days, and hours, is an ethically- appropriate nursing action.
Explanation:
All clients, regardless of age, have the right to die with dignity, and be free from pain. The parents have the right to request an opioid to relieve the child's distress. Assisted suicide requires some action on the part of the client, and this is not possible for a one- month old infant. Both the nurse and the parents have an ethical duty to the child. Withholding the opioid analgesic from a dying child is not appropriate, because, of fear it may hasten death, at any age, and this is not considered a contradiction for administering of analgesia.
