A nurse is caring for a client who is comatose and has advance directives that indicate the client does not want life-sustaining measures. The client's family wants the client to have life-sustaining measures. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Arrange for an ethics committee meeting to address the family's concerns.
Complete an incident report.
Support the family's decision and initiate life-sustaining measures.
Encourage the family to contact an attorney.
The Correct Answer is A
A. Arrange for an ethics committee meeting to address the family's concerns. An ethics committee can provide guidance in situations where there is conflict between advance directives and family wishes. This supports ethical decision-making while honoring the client’s autonomy and legal rights.
B. Complete an incident report. An incident report is used for errors or unusual events, not ethical dilemmas or conflicts over advance directives. It is not appropriate in this scenario.
C. Support the family's decision and initiate life-sustaining measures. The nurse is legally and ethically bound to follow the client’s advance directives, not the family’s wishes, especially when the client’s decisions are documented and clear.
D. Encourage the family to contact an attorney. While families have legal rights, referring them directly to an attorney does not address the immediate ethical issue or facilitate collaborative resolution in the care setting.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Provide frequent stimulation for the newborn. Excessive stimulation can worsen symptoms in newborns with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), including irritability, tremors, and difficulty sleeping. These infants need a calm, low-stimulation environment to reduce neurologic stress.
B. Encourage frequent eye contact with the newborn during feedings. While bonding is important, prolonged or forced eye contact can overstimulate a newborn with NAS. These infants often have difficulty regulating sensory input and may become more irritable with excessive interaction.
C. Decrease the lighting levels in the nursery. A dim, quiet environment helps soothe infants experiencing NAS. Reducing lighting can minimize sensory overload, promote rest, and support neurologic regulation during withdrawal.
D. Wrap the newborn loosely in a blanket. Loose wrapping does not provide the security and containment that helps calm an overstimulated infant. Instead, swaddling the newborn snugly can reduce tremors, promote sleep, and offer comfort during withdrawal symptoms.
Correct Answer is {"A":{"answers":"C"},"B":{"answers":"B,C"},"C":{"answers":"A,C"},"D":{"answers":"B"},"E":{"answers":"C"}}
Explanation
- Pain rating: Severe, intermittent abdominal pain where the child draws their knees to the chest and then returns to normal behavior is a classic symptom of intussusception. Neither Crohn’s disease nor appendicitis typically presents with this pattern, appendicitis pain is usually constant and worsening, while Crohn’s pain is chronic and non-episodic.
- Vomiting: Vomiting in intussusception is common and often non-bilious in early stages, aligning with the child's light-colored emesis. Vomiting also occurs in appendicitis, especially in the early stages. However, it is not a prominent or early symptom of Crohn’s disease unless obstruction is present.
- Stool: The presence of blood and mucus in the stool ("currant jelly stool") is strongly associated with intussusception and may also occur in Crohn’s disease during flares due to colonic inflammation. Appendicitis does not typically cause bloody or mucoid stools, making this finding inconsistent with that diagnosis.
- Temperature: A temperature of 37.4°C is within normal limits, appendicitis however may present with low grade fever. The absence of fever at this time limits its diagnostic value in this case.
- Abdominal findings: A distended abdomen with hypoactive bowel sounds and a palpable sausage-shaped mass in the right upper quadrant is highly indicative of intussusception. These findings are not characteristic of appendicitis, which usually involves RLQ pain, or Crohn’s, which rarely presents with a discrete palpable mass.
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