A nurse is caring for residents at a long-term care facility following a tornado. Which of the following tasks should the nurse delegate to an assistive personnel?

A) Ask the provider to give consent for the transfusion:

The provider cannot override the decision made by the client's designated healthcare proxy. Even if the provider were to give consent for the transfusion, it would not be ethically or legally appropriate to proceed with the treatment against the expressed wishes of the client's healthcare proxy.

B) Discuss taking guardianship of the client with the facility administration:

Seeking guardianship of the client would be an extreme measure and may not be necessary or appropriate in this situation. Guardianship is typically pursued when there are concerns about an individual's capacity to make decisions for themselves and when there is no designated healthcare proxy available to make decisions on their behalf. In this case, the client has a designated healthcare proxy, and it is more appropriate to respect the daughter's decision as the client's authorized representative.

C) Respect the daughter's decision to refuse the transfusion:

In situations where a client has designated a durable power of attorney for healthcare, the individual designated as the healthcare proxy has the legal authority to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the client, including the refusal of treatment. In this case, the daughter, acting as the client's healthcare proxy, has refused the blood transfusion for her mother. It is important for the nurse to respect and honor the daughter's decision, as it aligns with the client's previously documented wishes.

D) Encourage the daughter to let her mother have the transfusion:

While it is understandable that the nurse may want to advocate for the client's well-being, in this situation, the daughter's decision as the client's healthcare proxy must be respected. Encouraging the daughter to change her decision would not be appropriate if it goes against her understanding of what is in her mother's best interests and the client's previously documented wishes.

A. Verify the medication name along with its intended purpose.

Rationale:

Verifying the medication name along with its intended purpose is crucial to ensure accuracy and patient safety. In this scenario, the nurse should confirm that the medication name "propranolol" matches the intended medication prescribed by the provider. Additionally, understanding the purpose of the medication ensures that the nurse can correctly communicate this information to the patient, reinforcing patient education and adherence to the prescribed treatment plan. Verifying the medication name and purpose helps prevent medication errors and promotes safe medication administration practices.

B. Verbalize the letters "B-I-D" for the dosing instead of saying "twice per day."

Verbalizing the letters "B-I-D" for the dosing frequency instead of saying "twice per day" is not the most appropriate action in this situation. While using medical abbreviations like "B-I-D" (which stands for "bis in die" or "twice a day") is common in healthcare settings, it's essential to ensure clear communication with all involved parties, including patients and providers. Using layman's terms like "twice per day" helps avoid confusion and promotes better understanding, reducing the risk of medication errors due to misinterpretation.

C. Transcribe the medication name using the trade name.

Transcribing the medication name using the trade name is not appropriate unless specifically instructed by the provider or if there is a specific reason to do so. In this scenario, the nurse should use the generic name "propranolol" when transcribing the medication to ensure consistency and accuracy in documentation and communication. Using trade names can lead to confusion, especially in environments where multiple brand names may exist for the same generic medication.

D. Remind the provider to countersign the prescription in 72 hr.

Reminding the provider to countersign the prescription in 72 hours is not relevant to the immediate task of verifying and reading back the prescription information. While ensuring proper documentation and authorization of prescriptions is important, it should not be addressed during the initial verification and communication process. This action can be addressed separately, following the completion of the prescription verification process.