Which nursing pioneer established the Red Cross in the United States in 1882?

Choice A reason: Nonmaleficence, “do no harm,” is exemplified by protecting clients from an impaired provider, whose opioid use could lead to errors or unsafe care. This action prevents harm, prioritizing patient safety, and aligns with ethical principles of nursing, per professional standards and patient advocacy.

Choice B reason: Performing dressing changes promotes healing, an act of beneficence (doing good), not nonmaleficence. While it prevents infection, the primary intent is therapeutic benefit, not harm prevention, making it less aligned with nonmaleficence’s focus on avoiding harm, per nursing ethics.

Choice C reason: Providing emotional support is beneficence, as it actively benefits the client’s well-being. Nonmaleficence focuses on preventing harm, not promoting positive outcomes. Support reduces anxiety but does not directly address harm avoidance, making it incorrect for nonmaleficence, per ethical principles in nursing.

Choice D reason: Administering pain medication is beneficence, relieving suffering to improve comfort. Nonmaleficence involves avoiding harm, not providing therapeutic relief. While safe administration prevents harm, the primary goal is pain relief, not harm prevention, per nursing ethics and pharmacological care principles.

Choice A reason: Ensuring the patient receives all necessary information is the physician’s responsibility, not the nurse’s. Informed consent involves explaining risks, benefits, and alternatives, impacting patient autonomy. The nurse’s role is to witness the consent, verifying the patient’s understanding and voluntary agreement, ensuring ethical and legal standards are met without delivering medical details.

Choice B reason: Assessing competence is typically the physician’s role, as it requires evaluating cognitive capacity, influenced by neurological or psychological factors. Nurses may observe mental status but do not formally determine competence. Witnessing consent ensures the patient’s voluntary agreement, aligning with ethical principles of autonomy, making this a secondary nursing responsibility.

Choice C reason: Giving a complete procedure description is the surgeon’s duty, as it requires detailed medical knowledge of risks and outcomes. Nurses reinforce education but focus on witnessing consent to confirm voluntary agreement. Providing medical details exceeds the nurse’s scope, potentially causing confusion or miscommunication, impacting the patient’s informed decision-making process.

Choice D reason: Witnessing informed consent is the nurse’s primary role, verifying the patient received and understood information from the physician and consents voluntarily. This upholds autonomy, ensuring the patient’s decision aligns with their values. The nurse’s signature confirms the process, protecting legal and ethical standards without requiring them to provide medical explanations.

Choice E reason: Researching non-surgical alternatives is outside the nurse’s scope during preoperative teaching. Physicians discuss treatment options, considering cancer stage and biology. Nurses focus on witnessing consent, ensuring the patient’s understanding and voluntary agreement, supporting autonomy without delving into medical research, which could delay or confuse the consent process.