BL00520074
ETHICS THRU DRAMA: CLAIRE'S STORY - ETHICAL ISSUES AT THE END OF LIFE
By Helen Emmott and Julie Russell

Claire is a nurse but, she says, "I've learned some things since I was the patient." Despite her training, she delayed seeing a doctor when she experienced the first symptoms of ovarian cancer. When the physician gave her the diagnosis, she understood the words, "but I couldn't hear anything he was saying." Later, in intense pain, she was refused stronger medication, told "We have to reserve that option for later." "Don't you understand I'm dying," she says. "My daughter is scared and angry, I'm using her college fund for treatment I believe to be futile, and I feel so completely alone." Shocked by the impersonality of her medical care she tells a student nurse, one of the few people to treat her kindly, "Don't ever forget the importance of just being with someone, especially someone who's dying."

Claire's Story is one in a series of brief, one-character dramas created by bioethics educators Helen Emmott and Julie Russell, who are both experienced registered nurses. Performed by Russell, these evocative portraits offer nurses, physicians, social workers and other members of the healthcare team invaluable case material for use in thinking about these issues.

Every day in the life of a terminally-ill patient presents a host of complex issues for patients, families, and members of the healthcare team. As medical science and technology continue to evolve, discussions of the ethical aspects of end-of-life care become both more critical and more difficult. Learning to facilitate and participate in these processes is essential for all healthcare providers. The cases portrayed in these poignant monologues will stimulate hours of ethical discussion.

Reviews
~ "We teach and learn what it means to be healthcare professionals through cases, the sharing of clinical narratives or stories. The most powerful way of teaching and learning illness narratives is through drama, through actual performances of patients' stories." - William G. Bartholome, pediatrician and bioethicist

~ "The tapes and acting are magnificent, and the student response was wonderful!" - Dr. Lynda Shand, School of Nursing, College of New Rochelle

~ "Unforgettable! Russell's performance is inspiring, touching, and thought-provoking. The characterizations hit audience members right between the eyes." - Beth Ingram, Vice President, Arkansas Hospital Association
DVD
17 minutes
2004
USD 129.00
 
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