Nursing Critical thinking

Pain Management in Michigan
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In the State of Michigan, the board of nursing dictates that individuals have the right to access suitable and effective pain relief. As a result, registered nurses have the responsibility of providing appropriate techniques of pain management as specified in the statutory requirements for drug prescriptions (Chow, 2014). According to the Public Health Statute (333.16204a – 16204d) of 2014, registered nurses should ensure the protection of public health and safety issues through modalities of life improvement (Geller, 2013). The Board of Nursing recognizes that unsuitable prescription of controlled drugs, such as opioid analgesics may cause drug diversion and possible abuse. Consequently, each case involving prescription of pain should be evaluated on an individual basis to avoid deviating from protective guidelines.
Ethical and palliative care guidelines are essential components of healthcare. In this regard, healthcare professionals have the responsibility of accompanying critically ill patients through their journey of suffering as caregivers (Chow, 2014). In the State of Michigan, Act 386 of 1998 Section 700.5506 requires incapacitated patients to secure a ‘patient advocate designation’ or a ‘durable power of attorney’ while making critical medical decisions (Geller, 2013). However, the nonexistence of a medical attorney permits a trusted healthcare professional, a court-appointed or an employee authorized by state law to make medical decisions on behalf of the patient.

According to Act 386 of 2018 Section 1105 (a), the State of Michigan defines ‘incapacitated individual’ as a person who has an impaired mental reason, disability, or mental deficiency (Geller, 2013). In such cases, the patient cannot communicate or make informed judgments about interested persons without personal representation. Therefore, under the statute mentioned above, the individual can choose another person to act on his or her behalf.
References
Chow, K. (2014). Ethical Dilemmas in the Intensive Care Unit: Treating Pain and Symptoms in
Non communicative Patients at the end of Life. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 16(5), 256-260. Do i: 10.1097/NJH.0000000000000069
Geller, B. (2013, January). Health Care Decision-Making for a Resident in a Nursing Home.
Retrieved September 14, 2018, from
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/miseniors/Health_Care_Decision_Making_For_a Resident_in_a_NH_1_2013_410651_7.pdf