What is the nurse's responsibility regarding an improper medical order that, if carried out, may harm a patient?
a. The nurse must carry out the orders as written without questioning.
b. The nurse must go directly to the physician and, if necessary, refuse to carry out the order.
c. The nurse must go directly to the patient and ask the patient to make a decision about the order.
d. The nurse should carry out the order and then immediately resign so as not to be held responsible.
ANS: B
The nurse should deal directly with the physician who wrote the order. If this is unsuccessful, the nurse should use the nursing chain of command. Carrying out the orders as written without questioning is unsafe and may cause harm to the patient. Going directly to the patient and asking the individual to make a decision abut the order is unrealistic and inappropriate. Carrying out the order and then immediately resigning so as not to be held responsible is unsafe.
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