What are the first steps in the ethical decision-making process?

Reestablish the absolute state of health the client had before his or her illness.
This choice is incorrect. The Orem Self-Care Model does not aim to restore clients to their absolute state of health before illness. Instead, it focuses on empowering individuals to engage in self-care activities independently to maintain or improve their health status. It's not about restoring to a previous state but enhancing the individual's ability to care for themselves.

Help the client conduct self-care activities to reach the highest level of functioning.
This choice is correct. The primary goal of nursing in the Orem Self-Care Model is to assist clients in performing self-care activities to the best of their ability. Nurses assess the client's self-care abilities and provide appropriate support and education to help them achieve the highest level of functioning possible. The model emphasizes enhancing the client's self-care capacity, promoting independence, and improving overall functioning.

Prevent further injury to the client's biosystems.
While preventing injury is essential in nursing, it is not the primary focus of the Orem Self-Care Model. This model is more concerned with promoting self-care and independence rather than injury prevention.

Help balance technological care with humanistic aspects of care.
Balancing technological care with humanistic aspects of care is crucial in modern nursing practice, but it is not the specific primary goal of the Orem Self-Care Model. This model primarily emphasizes assisting clients in self-care activities to enhance their functioning and independence.

The hospital accepts full responsibility for the negligent act: While the hospital does have a shared responsibility for the safety of patients, individual healthcare professionals are accountable for their actions. Hospitals may face consequences as well, but individual practitioners are legally responsible for their own actions.

No legal action can be brought against the nurse: If a nurse makes a medication error, legal action can be taken. Healthcare professionals are accountable for their actions, and legal consequences can follow if negligence or malpractice occurs.

The nurse's legal responsibilities are met if an incident report is filed: Filing an incident report is an important step in addressing errors, but it does not absolve the nurse of legal responsibility. It is a tool used within healthcare institutions to improve patient safety and learn from mistakes, but it does not eliminate the legal consequences of an error.

The nurse is held to the same standard of care as any nurse with her education and experience: Nurses are held to a standard of care based on their education, experience, and the specific circumstances of the situation. If a nurse fails to meet this standard, they can be held legally responsible for their actions.