A nurse is about to administer an injection of an opioid medication to a patient. The nurse has drawn 1 mL of the medication from a 2 mL vial.
What should the nurse do next?

Choice A rationale

This statement is incorrect. Advance directives do not allow the court to overrule an adult client’s refusal of medical treatment. They are legal documents that provide instructions for medical care and only go into effect if the individual cannot communicate their own wishes.

Choice B rationale

This statement is correct. Advance directives indicate the form of treatment a client is willing to accept in the event of a serious illness. They allow individuals to express their preferences about medical treatment at some point in the future, should they become unable to communicate their wishes.

Choice C rationale

This statement is incorrect. Advance directives do not permit a client to withhold medical information from health care personnel. They are used to communicate the individual’s wishes about medical treatment to their healthcare providers and family.

Choice D rationale

This statement is incorrect. Advance directives do not specifically allow health care personnel in the emergency department to stabilize a client’s condition. They are used to guide choices for doctors and caregivers if the individual is terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia or near the end of life.

The client is at risk for Bleeding as evidenced by the Decrease in Platelet count from 350,000/mm² to 100,000/mm².

Rationale for Bleeding: Platelets are a crucial component of the blood that helps in clotting and preventing excessive bleeding. A decrease in platelet count from 350,000/mm² to 100,000/mm² is significant and puts the client at risk for bleeding. This is because when platelet levels fall below the normal range (150,000 to 400,000/mm²), the body’s ability to form clots and stop bleeding is compromised.

Rationale for Anemia: The client’s Hemoglobin level has decreased from 15 g/dL to 12 g/dL, which is at the lower end of the normal range (12 to 16 g/dL). However, it is still within the normal range, so the client is not currently at risk for anemia.

Rationale for Infections: The client’s White Blood Cell (WBC) count has decreased from 8,000/mm² to 6,000/mm², but it is still within the normal range (5,000 to 10,000/mm²). Therefore, the client is not currently at risk for infections.

Rationale for Cardiac arrhythmias: The client’s Potassium level has slightly decreased from 3.7 mEq/L to 3.6 mEq/L, but it is still within the normal range (3.5 to 5 mEq/L). Therefore, the client is not currently at risk for cardiac arrhythmias.