A patient asks the nurse to promise him that nothing bad will happen to him while he is under anesthesia for a surgical procedure. The patient is creating a conflict in which of the following ethical principles of the nurse?
1. Fidelity
2. Respect for others
3. Paternalism
4. Veracity
Fidelity
Rationale: Fidelity means keeping one's promises or commitments. The patient is putting the "nurse in the middle" of a potentially conflicting situation. The nurse cannot promise that nothing bad will happen to the patient during anesthesia. Respect for others acknowledges the right of individuals to make decisions and to live by these decisions. Paternalism allows one person to make decisions for another. Veracity is the concept that one should always tell the truth.
You might also like to view...
A nurse is teaching new and very young parents about safe sleeping practices for their newborn son and asks to hear them describe their nursery and their plans for the baby's sleeping arrangements
What information from the parents would indicate that they did not understand the discharge teaching? (Select all that apply.) A. "A friend bought an air purifier that prevents SIDS." B. "He can have a pacifier when he takes a nap." C. "Our bed is big enough for all three of us." D. "The crib is soft with lots of snuggly blankets." E. "We won't let the grandparents smoke in our house."
Which nursing technique best allows the client with slight expressive aphasia to communicate his feelings about using adaptive equipment in public?
A) Use a communication board to express thoughts. B) Enlist a close family member to interpret words. C) Sit beside client and patiently assist in interpreting communication. D) Allow the client time to process the words to express and return later for the conversation.
After administering triazolam to a hospitalized client the nurse should:
a. turn off the client's room lights. b. raise the client's siderails. c. take no special precautions, unless the nurse believes the client has difficulty ambulating. d. place the client on a monitor.
A nurse is talking with a 57-year-old client who has been a heavy drinker for many years. The client is being treated for alcoholism, and this is her second week as an inpatient on the psychiatric unit
It is 5:00 AM, and the client has been having difficulty sleeping. The client is an orthopedic nurse, and although she is clothed in a hospital-issued gown and robe, she is wearing a stethoscope around her neck that the nurse recognizes as belonging to one of the staff nurses. When the nurse asks her why she is wearing the stethoscope and where she got it, the client gives her a long and involved reply that basically describes how her nursing supervisor came to visit and gave it to her to wear "so she'd remember to get well." The nurse suspects that the client may be experiencing which of the following? A) Wernicke's syndrome B) Delirium tremens C) Korsakoff's psychosis D) Malignant hyperthermia