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Pain medication for the patient following treatment withdrawal
Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing : DCCN
|March 1, 1995
Abstract:
What is nursing's responsibility for pain control following the decision to withdraw life support? Should nurses be free to administer whatever amount of sedation they feel is necessary to provide adequate pain control for their patient? What should the nurse do if the physician prescribes a subtherapeutic dose of pain medication? The following article presents a case and analyses the nurse's moral duty to do no harm in this type of situation.