911 Emergency

An octogenarian takes a room in an assisted living facility.  Assisted Living means when people come into his room they do what he says.  If he has made a decision on his mortality based on his life experience, should it not be respected?  He does not want to be resuscitated.

The nurse in charge of the patient agrees with the facility policy of absolutely no CPR under any circumstances.  The octogenarian not only agrees with the policy but he insist on it and is a requirement for tenancy.  He is actually paying people to guard his less wishes and his dignity.  Plain and simple he does not wish to have his chest pounded on by some moron.  

The facility knows that they can be sued by the family especially in light of the fact that they signed a contract.  In order to reduce their liability, should the decision come back to bite them in the ass, they agree that 911 Emergency be called.  It is the story of Pontius Pilate  all over again, he washes his hands, and so exculpates himself.

The will of the witnesses is Crucify Jesus.  The Romans charged with carrying out the order take the law into their own hands.  They make him a crown of thorns, they beat him to a pulp, they deny him drink, they nail him to the cross, and crucify him.   They wait for his death and do not call 911.

The octogenarian is not in a nursing facility ...... he resides in an assisted living place.  Therefore, the nurse has no duty to the patient, because their isnt a patient.  The old person, 87 year old, could have dialed 911 from his own phone, or cell phone, but he chose to die.  

The nurse calls 911 as instructed and refuses the doctrine as given by the "certified, EMS", stranger.  She acted appropriately.

If the 911 personnel have as their doctrine to save all octogenarians, this is an unreasonable policy.  But the municipality issued a building permit and provided the instrumentality without deciding how to use it.  They are Pontius Pilate, the telephone operator 911 certified stranger is the Jew.  But in this case they do not wish to kill Jesus but resuscitate him by remote control.

The fact that the 911 stranger is certified is not relevant.  The fact that a bunch of people, Jews get together and demand the crucifiction of the nurse is not relevant. They are not certified but strangers none the less, with an opinion.  Let them opine on their own mortality and the circumstances of their death.  The media has a conflict of interest, they need to sensationalize every story and call it news, they care not who is falsely accused, or depreciated.  They give primacy to News and not to ....absence of malice.

A nurse does have a duty to a patient and failure to act on this duty is reason enough to warrant a fair trial, but not a crown of thorns.   Absent any duty, the nurse does not have to give you drink, or put you out if you are on fire.  That is why we have a covenant, good Samaritan law.  The nurse cannot abandon a patient, but she doesnt have any, so she can get up and leave.  Nurses are suppose to work in teams, otherwise there is no one to perform her duty when she is defecating.  

I might act that the nurses duty is not subordinate to policy, to doctrine, to news.  The nurses duty is not subordinate to Medicine.  The nurses duty is the checks and balances to protect the public.  The nurses duty is not a cure all to end all.

People die, especially when they are old, the older they are the more likely they will die.  They do not die suddenly, and it is no surprise.  And dont you go try and resuscitate a dead person.  Grow Up!     

I leave you with a famous quote of Daniel Day Lewis, " you do what you want with your own skin, and dont be telling us what to do with ours".