does anyone know how the ethics committee works? We want to get MIL off the Ventilator (She has a DNR and should not have been put on it) and they told us that since she is already on the vent we have to go throught the Ethics Committee in order to have her removed from it.
Does anyone work in a hospital and know the process and how long it is?
DWKSwed
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Re: NWR: Hospital Ethics Committee
I know in Florida, when we made the decision to remove my grandmother from the ventilator and use 'comfort measures only' they told us they would do all the behind the scenes work, that they would need two doctors to sign off on it. I'm not sure what the deal is in NY, but even if you have to go through the ethics committee I would imagine it shouldn't take very long, but I would demand to speak to a hospital administrator and/or bug every doctor that comes around to tell you who you need to speak to. What hospital is she in?
Future Mrs H
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Re: NWR: Hospital Ethics Committee
Posted by DWKSwed
I know in Florida, when we made the decision to remove my grandmother from the ventilator and use 'comfort measures only' they told us they would do all the behind the scenes work, that they would need two doctors to sign off on it. I'm not sure what the deal is in NY, but even if you have to go through the ethics committee I would imagine it shouldn't take very long, but I would demand to speak to a hospital administrator and/or bug every doctor that comes around to tell you who you need to speak to. What hospital is she in?
she is in NYHQ in Flushing. I spoke to them this morning and they said the ethics committee has been informed. And we are just waiting on that. Thats all I know so far.
cateydee
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Re: NWR: Hospital Ethics Committee
Posted by Future Mrs H
Posted by DWKSwed
I know in Florida, when we made the decision to remove my grandmother from the ventilator and use 'comfort measures only' they told us they would do all the behind the scenes work, that they would need two doctors to sign off on it. I'm not sure what the deal is in NY, but even if you have to go through the ethics committee I would imagine it shouldn't take very long, but I would demand to speak to a hospital administrator and/or bug every doctor that comes around to tell you who you need to speak to. What hospital is she in?
she is in NYHQ in Flushing. I spoke to them this morning and they said the ethics committee has been informed. And we are just waiting on that. Thats all I know so far.
i dont really know much about it but can you speak with her social worker? they should be more knowledgeable and will likely be your MIL's advocate.
LoveyDovey
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Re: NWR: Hospital Ethics Committee
i used to work in internal medicine...I'm a PA.
If you have a DNR order that is valid then it should make things a lot easier...hopefully she has a proxy too?
Basically what happens- or what happened where I worked with ethics committee is... the family sits with the ethics team and the doctors involved in her care- social worker, nurse manager etc. they will review the chart and the chain of events
however....i dont know the circumstances leading up to the ventilator, just because you have DNR order it does not mean you don't want to be on a ventilator, you have to have a DNI (do not intubate) order in order for a doctor to not put a patient on a machine.
I hope it works out well for your family...basically your family has to prove to team that she would not want to live this way ti depends on how much (and i hate to use this word) 'evidence' you can show them that she wouldnt want to be on a vent
it's a very tricky thing for doctors/hospitals to take someone off a vent, unfortunately will all the insurance fraud that happened they have to make sure they are protecting the patient...sad but true
as cateydee said, the social worker on the floor would certainly be able to give you more advice
