A client who is terminally ill tells a nurse on the medical-surgical unit that she feels hopeless. Which of the following statements by the nurse is appropriate?

Rationale:

A. A client who is alert and oriented makes an informed decision to leave the hospital against medical advice. The nurse applies restraints to the client to prevent him from leaving constitutes a violation of patient autonomy and could be considered false imprisonment rather than negligence.

B. A nurse identifies the absence of peripheral pulsation in a casted extremity in the early morning and reports it to the provider in the early afternoon might be considered a delay in care but does not necessarily meet the criteria for negligence unless it leads to harm.

C. A client who is competent refuses an antidepressant medication. The nurse dissolves the medication in food and administers it to her without her knowledge is an example of negligence as it violates the client’s autonomy and informed consent.

D. A nurse finds a client who is on a low-sodium diet eating salted potato chips. The nurse tells the client that she will apply wrist restraints if he does not stop eating the potato chips is inappropriate but does not specifically represent negligence; it’s more about improper behavior or coercion.

A. WBC 6,000/mm³ is within normal range and does not require follow-up.

B. BUN 15 mg/dL is within normal range and does not require follow-up.

C. Hemoglobin 14 g/dL is within normal range for most adults and does not require follow-up.

D. Platelet count 60,000/mm³ is significantly low and requires follow-up as it can increase the risk of bleeding during surgery.