Analysis of a Case Study
Community Health Nursing - NUR 311
November 01, 2015

Abstract
This paper examines the role of a home care nurse in the case of a patient who is non-compliant with care and lacks knowledge about his medical condition. Nurses have numerous legal, professional and ethical duties. The three main duties are to respect all patients’ confidentiality and autonomy and to recognize duty of care owed to all patients. This paper will explore the ethical dilemma involved with a patient unwillingness to comply and the nurse’s duty to respect the patient’s wishes. Further discussion will give insight into the nurse’s legal responsibilities and elaborate on the principle of beneficence, health concepts, autonomy vs. paternalism, patient teaching, family as caregiver, Eco mapping, and therapeutic nursing interventions.
Analysis of a Case Study
Situation Overview
The article, “The Patient Who Fell Through The Cracks,” described Mr. H as a 65 years old, morbidly obese man diagnosed with CHF, PVD, bilateral venous stasis ulcers, and HTN. He lived at home with his diabetic wife and mentally-challenged adult son. The environment in which they resided was unhealthy, possibly due to self-care deficit and lack of knowledge about health and wellness. Mr. H. lacked the support system that he needed to care for himself. Due to Mr. H’s inability to comprehend and self-care deficit immediate intervention had to be initiated by the nurse which involved providing wound care and health promotion.

Principle of Beneficence: Rule of utility
Beneficence is the concept of supporting the patient by preventing further harm, yet the nurse has an ethical responsibility to respect the patient’s wishes even if the patient refusal of care could lead to a negative outcome (American Nursing Association, 2010). As nurses, making decisions on an everyday basis requires