An 85-year-old client has been admitted to the hospital with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The family has expressed concern about their ability to pay for present and future care. Which guidance will the nurse provide?

A. "You will need to get used to this at your age." - This response is dismissive and invalidating. It implies that the client's feelings of depression and grief are simply a natural part of aging that they should accept or become accustomed to. It fails to acknowledge the client's emotions and does not offer any support or empathy.

B. "Perhaps you need to make friends with younger people." - This response is not empathetic and fails to address the client's feelings. It suggests a solution that may not be feasible or appropriate for the client's situation. Additionally, it overlooks the importance of the client's existing relationships and the impact of losing friends.

C. "That must be hard for you." - This response demonstrates empathy and validation of the client's feelings. It acknowledges the difficulty of losing friends and the impact it may have on the client's emotional well-being. By expressing understanding and sympathy, the nurse shows willingness to listen and provide support.

D. "That is to be expected." - While this response acknowledges the client's experience, it may come across as somewhat dismissive. It suggests that feeling depressed due to the loss of friends is a normal and expected reaction for an older adult, but it doesn't offer much in the way of validation or support for the client's emotions.

A. The nurse can be held liable for the actions of the unlicensed care provider.

In healthcare settings, registered nurses are responsible for delegating tasks to unlicensed care providers within their scope of practice. If a registered nurse directs an unlicensed care provider to perform a task outside of their scope of practice, the nurse can be held liable for any resulting harm to the patient. It's essential for nurses to delegate tasks appropriately and ensure that unlicensed personnel are only assigned tasks that they are trained and authorized to perform.

B. The unlicensed care provider is solely responsible for the inappropriate practice.

While unlicensed care providers must also adhere to their scope of practice, it is ultimately the responsibility of the registered nurse to ensure that tasks are delegated appropriately. If the registered nurse directs the unlicensed care provider to perform tasks beyond their scope, both parties may be held accountable, but the nurse has a higher level of responsibility due to their licensure and authority.

C. Liability rests with the company that owns the healthcare facility.

While the healthcare facility may have some level of responsibility for ensuring appropriate staffing and training, in this scenario, the immediate accountability lies with the registered nurse who directed the unlicensed care provider to perform tasks outside of their scope of practice.

D. In the absence of documented harm to the client, the action is legally permissible.

Performing tasks outside of one's scope of practice is never legally permissible, regardless of whether harm occurs. Nurses and other healthcare providers must adhere to professional standards and regulations regarding delegation and scope of practice to ensure patient safety and quality care.