Nokea
A client with leukemia is being considered for a bone marrow transplant. The healthcare team is discussing the risks and benefits of this treatment and other possible treatments with the goal of inflicting the least possible harm on the client. Which principle of healthcare ethics is the team practicing?
- A. Fidelity
- B. Nonmaleficence
- C. Autonomy
- D. Justice
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Nonmaleficence. Nonmaleficence is the principle of avoiding harm. In healthcare ethics, practitioners aim not only to do good but also to ensure they do no harm. In this scenario, the healthcare team is discussing treatment options with the intention of inflicting the least harm on the client. Choice A, Fidelity, refers to keeping promises made to clients, families, and healthcare professionals. Choice C, Autonomy, pertains to respecting a person's independence and right to make decisions. Choice D, Justice, involves fairness, equity, and the fair allocation of resources, such as healthcare services.
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A client scheduled for surgery tells the nurse that he signed an informed consent for the surgical procedure but was never told about the risks of the surgery. The nurse serves as the client's advocate by undertaking which action?
- A. Reassuring the client that the risks are minimal
- B. Noting in the client's record that the client was not told about the risks of the surgery
- C. Writing a note on the front of the client's record so that the surgeon will see it when the client arrives in the operating room
- D. Informing the surgeon verbally about the lack of information provided to the client
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A nurse serves as a client advocate by protecting the client's right to be informed and to participate in decisions regarding care. In this scenario, the nurse should document in the client's record that the client was not informed about the risks of the surgery. This action ensures that the issue is officially noted and can be addressed by the healthcare team. Reassuring the client that the risks are minimal is incorrect because it dismisses the client's concerns and does not address the lack of information provided. Writing a note on the client's chart to inform the surgeon is not as effective as ensuring that the issue is officially documented in the client's record, where it can be reviewed and addressed by the healthcare team. Informing the surgeon verbally is not as reliable as documenting the concern in the client's record, which provides a formal and lasting record for review and follow-up.
While on the wound care team, the nurse notices that a fellow nurse opens extra colloid dressings that are often thrown away when they are not needed. What should the nurse do?
- A. Do nothing, as it is not impacting client care.
- B. Discuss with the colleague the concern about wasting supplies.
- C. Tell the charge nurse to stop ordering these dressings.
- D. Remove the colloid dressings from the shelf so that the nurse will find other supplies to use.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to discuss with the colleague the concern about wasting supplies. By addressing this issue, the nurse can promote cost-effective care within the unit. While it may not directly impact client care, the wastage of supplies affects the unit's supply cost, making choice A incorrect. Choice C is incorrect as it assumes the charge nurse is solely responsible for the ordering process and overlooks the opportunity for direct communication between colleagues. Choice D is incorrect as it involves taking matters into one's own hands rather than addressing the issue through communication and collaboration.
A nurse and a nursing assistant enter a client's room to provide care and find the client lying on the floor. Which action should the nurse take first?
- A. Ask the nursing assistant to complete an incident report
- B. Check the client's level of consciousness and vital signs
- C. Contact the unit secretary on the intercom and ask that the client's health care provider be called
- D. Ask the nursing assistant to assist in getting the client back to bed
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When a client sustains a fall, the nurse must first assess the client. The nurse should check the client's level of consciousness and vital signs to determine the severity of the situation and provide appropriate care promptly. This immediate assessment is crucial in ensuring the client's immediate needs are addressed. Asking the nursing assistant to complete an incident report (choice A) is not the priority as the client's condition needs immediate attention. Contacting the unit secretary to call the client's health care provider (choice C) can be done after the initial assessment has been completed. Asking the nursing assistant to assist in getting the client back to bed (choice D) should only be considered after ensuring the client is stable and safe to move.
A nurse on the night shift is making client rounds. When the nurse checks a client who is 97 years old and has successfully been treated for heart failure, he notes that the client is not breathing. If the client does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, the nurse should take which action?
- A. Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- B. Call the client's health care provider
- C. Administer oxygen to the client and call the health care provider
- D. Contact the nursing supervisor for directions
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the appropriate action when a client is not breathing and does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. CPR is considered an emergency treatment that can be provided without client consent in life-threatening situations. Calling the health care provider or nursing supervisor for directions, as well as administering oxygen without addressing the lack of breathing, would delay critical life-saving interventions. Therefore, administering CPR is the most urgent and necessary action to perform in this scenario.
A client is refusing to stay in the hospital because he does not agree with his healthcare treatment plan. The nurse stops the client from leaving due to concern for his health. Which of these legal charges could the nurse face?
- A. False imprisonment, as the nurse is not allowing the client to leave as he has decided to.
- B. Malpractice, as the nurse is intentionally keeping the patient from making his own decisions, thus violating that nursing duty.
- C. Invasion of privacy, as the nurse is getting involved in the patient's private decisions regarding healthcare.
- D. Negligence, as the nurse ignored the client's right to choose regarding his healthcare.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Refusing to let a client leave against medical advice (AMA) is a form of false imprisonment. In this scenario, the nurse is restricting the client's freedom of movement by preventing him from leaving the hospital, even though he has expressed his wish to leave. False imprisonment is a legal charge the nurse could face in this situation.
The other options are incorrect:
- Malpractice refers to professional negligence or failure to provide adequate care, not allowing a patient to make their own decisions.
- Invasion of privacy involves disclosing confidential information without consent, not preventing a patient from leaving.
- Negligence is the failure to take reasonable care, but it does not specifically address the act of restricting a patient from leaving against their wishes.