Is Parental Smoking Neglect of an Asthmatic Child?

Nursing-Contemporary issue position essay

Choose a case from the AMA Journal of Ethics Case Index and take a position. Identify the potential legal arguments (consider current federal guidelines), indicate any potential professional code conflicts you foresee, and support your position with an explanation of your own ethical/moral foundation.

In your 2 page paper:

  • Identify the issue and state your ethical position.
  • How might this scenario play out or impact you in your role as a nurse practitioner?
  • Defend your position with legal, ethical, and professional evidence.
  • As part of your position, propose strategies and solutions for addressing the issues.
  • What other ethical issues does this case bring to light, if any?

Support your position with at least one scholarly source (it may be your text).  Be sure to cite the article you choose, use APA format, and include a title page and reference page.

Article:Is parental smoking neglect of an asthmatic child?

Position: Parental smoking is neglect of an asmatic child

link to article: http://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/2014/04/ecas3-1404.html

The article:

Is Parental Smoking Neglect of an Asthmatic Child?

Commentary by Bahareh Keith, DO, and Kimberly B. Handley, MSW, LCSW

A mother carrying a coughing child walks into the emergency room. She hysterically flags down a triage nurse and tells her that her daughter, Rose, is having trouble breathing. The nurse directs mother and child to a bed in the emergency room cordoned off by a light blue curtain. Less than five minutes later, Tricia, a third-year medical student on her pediatrics rotation, shows up to do a thorough history and physical of the patient. The first thing Tricia notices is that both mother and daughter are saturated in the scent of cigarettes. Upon questioning, the mother admits to smoking two packs a day in the house.

“Have you tried quitting?” Tricia asks.

The mother scowls. “The smoking’s not a problem. I keep all the windows open.” At that moment, her daughter has a severe coughing fit. She scoops Rose into her arms, and rubs soothing circles on her back. “My daughter has asthma. That’s why we’re here,” she tells the student.

Tricia jots a note in the patient’s record and sees Rose has been admitted multiple times in the past for asthma. After flipping through these notes, Tricia sees that the mother has been counseled repeatedly about the need to stop smoking for the sake of Rose’s health. Tricia goes to find her attending and presents Rose’s case, highlighting signs of neglect. She then asks whether or not this would be grounds to notify child protective services.