The legal landscape at the threshold of viability for extremely premature infants: a nursing perspective, part II.
This is the second of a 2-part article exploring the legal landscape overlying the difficult decisions that can confront a family with an extremely premature infant at the threshold of viability. In Part I, recent legal regulations and litigation were analyzed to show that the baby doe regulations are largely inert and that recent litigation arises out of state laws and regulations. Part II takes up the analysis to show that the common thread through all these conflicts, and the subsequent litigation, is a failure to obtain parental consent for the course of treatment at issue. The author argues that the central focus of all parties seeking to minimize legal risks in these situations must be on creating a transparent decision-making process that includes the parents from the onset. Nurses play a pivotal role in that process and are supported broadly by the professional guidelines of the American Nurses Association, the Association of Women's Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Principles of Family-Centered Neonatal Care.
Hurst
Irene
I
Department of Nursing, College of Health and Social Services, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003, USA. ihurst@nmsu.edu
D005328:Fetal Viability; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000592:standards*; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011379:Prognosis; D016414:Resuscitation Orders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States