Life, Death and Decisions by Hazel Mchaffie
Enormous advances have been made in the care of tiny babies. Continued existence, however, is sometimes not in their own best interests. For staff in Neonatal Units, already carrying out demanding work, decisions about which babies to treat intensively are particularly difficult and stressful to make. This book allows us to see how they decide and how they manage such cases. The facts come from a rigorous study carried out by two researchers, both heath care professionals. One of them, Dr Hazel McHaffie, spent months in six large Neonatal Units watching and listening to the doctors and nurses. We hear them describe their innermost feelings and doubts. We also see the tensions and conflicts of the real life situations where personalities and strong beliefs clash. There are no easy answers but this insight into the complexity of life and death decisions helps us to understand the questions and the dilemmas. The book reveals: the innermost feelings and doubts of staff having to make these stresful decisions; the agonies and complexities of having to make life and death decisions; and real-life situation conflict where personalities and strong beliefs clash. The purpose of the book is to help the reader understand the questions and dilemmas surrounding this very emotive subject.
Formerly Deputy Director of Research in the Institute of Medical Ethics, Dr Hazel McHaffie has extensive clinical and academic experience in the world of medical ethics. She is widely published in medical and academic spheres and has lectured around the world. Her book, Crucial Decisions at the Beginning of Life, was voted Medical Book of the Year by the British Medical Association in 2002. One of her novels, Right to Die, was short-listed for the BMA Popular Medicine prize in 2008. Inside of Me is her ninth published work of fiction. Each book explores a different ethical dilemma arising from modern medicine - assisted dying, dementia, saviour siblings, assisted conception, organ donation and transplantation, proxy decision making, neonatal intensive care, mental health.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781898507550 |
| ISBN 10 | 1898507554 |
| Title | Life, Death and Decisions |
| Author | Hazel Mchaffie |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Elsevier Health Sciences |
| Year published | 1996-12-18 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |