Student Name: Flores, Nicole A03538418 1.

4 Current Issues in Maternal/Newborn Nursing Case Study Case Study Questions A couple is expecting their third child. The father has a family history of leukemia. The couple recently read an article about cord blood banking, and they asked the nurse for more information. They specifically want information on the procedure and its purpose, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking. 1. The couple asks about the purpose of and procedure for cord blood banking. What is an appropriate response by the nurse? The purpose of cord blood banking is to save and store umbilical cord blood (stem-cells) after your babys birth in the case that medical treatment is necessary to save an eligible blood matched patients life. The procedure is painless and simple. After the birth of ones baby and the umbilical cord is cut, the remaining blood from the cord to taken and saved. It is sent to a laboratory to be cryogenically frozen and stored. 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cord blood banking over bone marrow transplants? Cord blood stem cells are biologically younger and more flexible than adult stem cells (from bone marrow). Preservation of cord blood stem cells protects the cell from aging and exposure to environmental factors. The procedure to collect cord blood is simple and painless versus the collection of bone marrow. There have also been reports that cord blood stem cells run less risk of complications when used in transplants. Some disadvantages are that core blood collection results in a very small amount of stem cells. This could be a problem for an adult that may need more stem cells for transplant. In a rare case (1 in 10,000), cord blood can expose a patient to rare genetic disorders of the immune system. 3. What are the ethical issues associated with cord blood banking? Cord blood stem cells are not embryonic stem cells, so the ethical use of them isnt controversial. Any ethics involved in cord blood banking involves the public usage of cord blood stem cells from other donors. Some people are concerned about the quality assurance and cord blood banks.

4. What is the purpose of the nurse using a formal decision-making model when confronted with ethical dilemmas of nursing practice? The purpose of using a formal decision-making model is to help guide the nurse with nonbiased informative counseling with a patient. The model helps to objectively present the advantages and disadvantages associated with the decision the patient needs to make. 5. What are the implications for nursing practice related to ethical issues? The major principles of healthcare ethics that must be upheld in all situations are beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. Nurses need to distinguish between their personal values and their professional ethics. Personal judgments that lead to bias must be avoided. Patients should be treated fairly and nurses must act in the best interest of patients. The Nursing Code of Ethics helps to outline nurses primary commitment to their profession.

Resources Apurva. Advantages and Disadvantages of Cord Blood Treatment . 2009. http://www.disabledworld.com/news/research/stemcells/cord-blood-treatment.php Cord Blood Banking. Benefits of Cord Blood Banking Questions. 2013. http://www.cordblood.com/benefits-cord-blood/cord-blood-faqs#question4