The nurse is caring for an unresponsive patient who has terminal cancer with a Do Not Resuscitate order in effect
A family member tells the nurse, "I'll sue you and every other nurse here if you don't do everything possible to keep her alive." The nurse understands that protection from legal prosecution in this situation is provided by:
a. legal immunity granted when acting ac-cording to the patient's expressed wishes.
b. the legal view that the duty to put into effect the patient's wishes falls to the physician.
c. knowledge of and compliance with facili-ty policies and procedures regarding end-of-life care.
d. implementing interventions that preserve the patient's right to self-determination.
C
In this case, immunity applies only to the physician and not to the nurse because the physician is given the legal duty to put into effect the patient's wishes. Consequently, the nurse must rely on effective communication with the physician, patient, and family, and on the quality of the facili-ty's policies and procedures, to be sure that his or her actions are consistent with the legally re-quired steps.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following are true about Alcoholics Anonymous? (Select all that apply)
A. A physician referral is needed. B. Family and friends are encouraged to attend the regular meetings with the alcoholic. C. No last names are used at the meetings. D. The group for family members is Al-Anon. E. Offshoots such as Narcotics Anonymous follow a different philosophy. F. The individual is encouraged to admit he or she is powerless over alcohol.
The nurse is caring for several clients who sustained chemical injuries. Which statement related to chemical injuries does the nurse understand to be true? Select all that apply.
A) The potential for unintentional exposure should be assumed, even if not apparent. B) A priority intervention is the removal of clothing. C) Protection of caregivers from exposure is important while caring for clients with these injuries. D) The injury-inducing agent may be difficult to identify without specialized equipment. E) Decontamination should occur with copious of amounts of soap-free water.
The new community/public health nurse was very enthusiastic about giving care to the community's residents. What should the nurse do when asked to attend a city council meeting?
A. Appreciate the opportunity to meet the policy makers in the community. B. Clarify which agenda item was relevant to the agency and its purpose. C. Insist on dedicating the nurse's time toward giving care, not observing politics. D. Point out that the nurse's caseload was too heavy to waste time in such a way.
Understanding the various steps of proteolytic cascades may be useful in designing drug therapy for which human diseases?
a. Cardiac and vascular disorders b. Autoimmune and malignant disorders c. Gastrointestinal and renal disorders d. Endocrine