Case 1: A 75-year-old healthy male was working on the roof of his house when he slipped and fell 10 ft. to the ground. He was knocked unconscious. When the paramedics arrived he was awake but...

Extracted text: Case 1: A 75-year-old healthy male was working on the roof of his house when he slipped and fell 10 ft. to the ground. He was knocked unconscious. When the paramedics arrived he was awake but confused. His vital signs were stable (e.g., Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score of 14). He was immobilized with a C-collar and backboard and taken to the ED. Shortly after arrival in the ED he became more confused, then sleepy. His GCS score decreased from 14 to 10. The attending emergency physician was concerned that perhaps the patient had a significant head injury and was in the process of arranging for a CT scan when the patient's wife arrived. The patient's condition continued to deteriorate, to a GCS score of 8. The emergency physician prepared to intubate him, but when she discussed this with the patient's wife, the wife became upset and stated that her husband had a "living will," which specifies that, if he became critically ill, he would not want any resuscitative interventions, including intubation. Question 1: Is the patient's wife required to make a decision in the best interests of the patient? Question 2: Who decides what is 'best'? Question 3: How would you handle this situation as a nurse? *