Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Overview of Genetics and Genomics in Nursing Related

Review Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing 14e (Hinkle 2017) - Overview of Genetics and Genomics in Nursing related questions and content

What should the nurse do?

  • A. Call the patients brother and inform him of his risk for development of Alzheimers disease.
  • B. Notify the geneticist and have him instruct the patient on his siblings and parents risk.
  • C. Notify the siblings physicians about the patients risk for development of Alzheimers disease.
  • D. Instruct the patient on the importance of notifying the siblings and keep his information confidential.
Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The nurse must honor the patient's wishes while explaining the potential benefit this information may have for other family members. Breaching confidentiality by contacting siblings or their physicians is unethical. Involving a geneticist may be helpful, but the primary action is to respect the patient's confidentiality while encouraging disclosure.