The nurse is caring for a client who asks the nurse to explain a concept about the client's disease process that the nurse does not know the answer to. The best response by the nurse is:

1. "I do not know.".
2. "I do not know, but I will find out.".
3. "Why do you need to know that?"
4. "You'll have to ask the doctor that question.".


2. "I do not know, but I will find out.".

Rationale:
The nurse best exhibits integrity by telling the client that the nurse will find out the answer and get back to the client. Honesty by the nurse will build trust with the client. Just saying, "I don't know," and leaving it at that will make the nurse appear untrustworthy and possibly uncaring. Questioning the client about the need for the information is defensive and might also be construed as a challenge by the client. Referring the question to the doctor is also not good ethics; nurses need to continue learning throughout their practice.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

The client has recently started antidepressant drug therapy. He approaches the nurse complaining of a headache, palpitations, and stiffness in the neck. The most appropriate ac-tion is to

1. notify the physician immediately. 2. notify the physician when convenient. 3. give the client two aspirins and monitor his headache and heart rate. 4. reassure the client that these are common side effects of his medication.

Nursing

A child drowned while swimming in a local lake 4 years earlier. Which behavior indicates that the parents are effectively coping with their loss? The parents:

a. prohibit their other children from going swimming. b. keep a place set for the dead child at the family dinner table. c. keep their child's room exactly as the child left it 4 years ago. d. throw flowers on the lake at each anniversary date of the accident.

Nursing

Which information should the nurse include when discussing the appropriate dosing and administration needs for self-administering prescriptive therapy?

A. "Drink water when you take cough syrup." B. "Avoid drinking liquids with expectorants." C. "Take your antihistamine as soon as you begin experiencing allergy symptoms." D. "Clear your nasal passages by blowing prior to using your nasal spray."

Nursing

Antibiotic resistance is becoming prevalent as a health problem. Some risks associated with antibiotic resistance include:

What will be an ideal response?

Nursing