A patient with severe hypertension, identified to receive an investigative medication that has shown a dramatic decrease in blood pressure, has been told that his participation in the study is no longer needed

Question

The patient is upset because he wanted to try the medication to control the blood pressure. Which of the following should the nurse do to support this patient? 1. Talk with the researchers about the patient's right to receive the investigational medication.
2. Explain to the patient that investigational medications hardly ever produce the desired results.
3. Tell the patient that he can participate some other time.
4. Help the patient understand that his participation "wasn't meant to be.".

Answer 1

Talk with the researchers about the patient's right to receive the investigational medication.

Rationale: The principle of justice requires that people be treated fairly. This includes the patient's right to receive research treatments. The nurse should talk with the researchers about the patient's right to receive the medication. The nurse should not minimize the patient's participation by stating that investigational medications hardly ever produce the desired results or make a false promise of participating sometime in the future. Stating that his participation "wasn't meant to be" is dismissive of the impact of the change for the client.