Which situation will most likely result in an ethical problem because of short staffing on a geriatric unit?
1. The nurses begin to spend a few minutes with assigned clients each shift in quiet
conversation.
2. Each nurse on the unit has an assigned client with whom they are to
discuss end-of-life decision making.
3. The clients on the unit are assigned days of the week on which they go to
exercise.
4. Most of the clients have family visiting on the weekends who ask the nurses
questions.
Answer: 2
Rationale: If nurses are unavailable to discuss end-of-life decision making with their clients, there is potential for the clients to die without those decisions made. This leads to ethical dilemmas if the clients' wishes are not known. If nurses are not available for quiet conversation, no ethical problem is apparent. A lack of exercise does not entail an ethical problem, and short staffing will not affect visitors asking questions.
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