The nurse witnesses the patient's signature on a consent form to participate in her physician's research study

Question

After the physician leaves the room, the patient tells the nurse she really doesn't want to participate but didn't have the heart to turn down the request because of fear that the physician would be upset. What should the nurse do to advocate for this patient?
a. Tell the patient the physician will not be upset.
b. Tell the physician why the patient agreed to participate.
c. Explain the importance of the research study to the patient.
d. Ask the patient what she would like you to do.

Answer 1

B
The nurse should inform the physician of the patient's feelings and encourage the physician to talk with the patient to give her permission to change her mind. While the nurse can say the physician will not be upset, and it is likely to be true, it will not change how the patient feels nor provide her the opportunity to change her mind. Explaining the importance of the study would probably make the patient feel even more obligated to participate. The patient is likely to tell the nurse not to do anything, so the patient's needs would still go unmet.