You continue your assessment and implementation of the admission orders. Another nurse comes to helpyou and states, "Why are we wasting time with this wino? He isn't worth the time or money

Why don't they let him die?
How might you respond to this nurse's remarks?


• This question requires a review of your principles. Then engage your co-workers in some values
clarification (e.g., dignity, fairness, being judgmental, and confidentiality).
• Be aware that many people drink to dull their pain or to avoid facing memories of unthinkable
horrors of past physical, sexual, or psychological abuse.
• Only the person who has been through it knows what it is like to live with that pain. As a
professional, it is not for you to judge; a patient who is in pain or discomfort has the right to receive
the best care that you can give.
• Remember that words, such as those spoken by the nurse, can be devastating to the patient, to his
or her family, or to less experienced or less responsible personnel. Most of all, these attitudes affect
our own integrity and humanity.
• A brief review of facts might also be useful. Remember that a significant number of patients with
cirrhosis are not alcoholics, whether or not they were admitted smelling of alcohol. (In this case,
the BAL does point to alcoholism.) Cirrhosis also arises from biliary problems; metabolic problems;
and toxic effects of certain drugs, chemicals, and solvents. A certain number of cases have an
unknown cause.
• If alcohol is the only hepatotoxin and he stops drinking, he can recover a large part of his hepatic function.

Nursing

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The parents of a child diagnosed with cystic fibrosis ask the nurse what caused this disorder. What is the most appropriate response?

a. "Cystic fibrosis is a chromosomal defect." b. "Cystic fibrosis is a metabolic defect." c. "Cystic fibrosis is a malformation present at birth." d. "Cystic fibrosis is a blood disorder."

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When assessing a client receiving a cholinergic drug, the nurse would assess the client for increased neuromuscular blocking effects if the client is also receiving which of the following? Select all that apply

A) Amoxicillin B) Tobramycin C) Cephalexin D) Neomycin E) Clarithromycin

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You enter your client's room and find him pulseless and unresponsive. What would be the treatment of choice for this client?

A) IV lidocaine B) Chemical cardioversion C) Immediate defibrillation D) Electric cardioversion

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