The nurse finds it difficult to care for a patient whose advance directive states that no extraordinary resuscitation measures should be taken. Which step may help the nurse to find resolution in this assignment?
a. Scrutinize personal values.
b. Call for an ethical committee consult.
c. Decline the assignment on religious grounds.
d. Convince the family to challenge the directive.
ANS: A
Clarifying values—your own, your patients', your co-workers'—is an important and effective part of ethical discourse. Calling for a consult, declining the assignment, and convincing the family to challenge the patient's directive are not ideal resolutions because they do not address the reason for the nurse's discomfort, which is the conflict between the nurse's values and those of the patient. The nurse should value the patient's decisions over the nurse's personal values.
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