An older patient is not breathing well and has cold, mottled skin. The patient has a living will and requests comfort measures only. What should the nurse do to care for this patient?
1. Ask the family what they want to be done for the patient.
2. Contact the physician for orders to control the patient's breathing.
3. Provide personal hygiene and skin care as outlined in the care plan.
4. Withhold pain medication, hygiene, and nutrition until the patient dies.
3. Provide personal hygiene and skin care as outlined in the care plan.
Explanation: 1. Asking the family what they want to be done for the patient will go against the patient's written wishes and is inappropriate.
2. Contacting the physician to intervene to control respiration is considered adding extraordinary measures and is inappropriate, as it is going against the patient's written wishes when a living will is present and in force.
3. Comfort measures only indicate that the patient does not want extraordinary measures to sustain life. This does not mean that nursing care ceases but that nursing care to provide patient comfort is intensified and maintained through the end stages of the patient's life.
4. Comfort measures only indicate that the patient does not want extraordinary measures to sustain life. This does not mean that nursing care ceases but that nursing care to provide patient comfort is intensified and maintained through the end stages of the patient's life.
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