A nurse witnesses a coworker taking controlled substances from the medication cart without proper documentation. According to nursing ethics, what action should the nurse take?

Report the incident to the nurse manager or appropriate authority.

Nursing ethics require nurses to uphold professional standards and report any unethical or illegal activities observed in the workplace. Witnessing a coworker taking controlled substances without proper documentation is a serious breach of ethical and legal standards. The nurse's responsibility is to report the incident to the appropriate authority, such as the nurse manager or a designated reporting mechanism, to ensure patient safety and maintain the integrity of the profession.

• Option a may not be appropriate or effective, as it can potentially escalate the situation and compromise the nurse's own safety.

• Option b disregards the responsibility to promote patient safety and maintain professional integrity.

• Option d assumes the nurse has the ability to convince the coworker to change their behavior, which may not be realistic or within the nurse's role.

Respect the patient's autonomy and honor their decision.

In nursing ethics, respecting a patient's autonomy and honoring their right to make decisions about their own healthcare is crucial. If a patient refuses a blood transfusion based on religious beliefs, the nurse's responsibility is to respect their decision and provide alternative treatments or interventions that align with the patient's beliefs and values.

• Option b provides information, which can be appropriate, but overriding the patient's refusal would violate their autonomy.

• Option c should only be considered if there are legal or ethical grounds for overriding the patient's refusal, which should be determined by appropriate authorities.

• Option d disregards the patient's autonomy and promotes paternalistic behavior, which is contrary to nursing ethics.