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Question

Difficulty: EasyClient Rights and Advocacy

A healthcare provider has just finished discussing a scheduled surgical procedure with an alert and competent client. After the provider leaves the room, the client turns to the practical nurse (PN) and states, "I still do not understand why I need this surgery or what will happen." Which action should the PN take?

  1. Contact the healthcare provider to return and clarify the procedure with the client.Answer
  2. B
    Explain the surgical risks and benefits to the client based on the medical record.
  3. C
    Tell the client not to worry because this is a very common and routine procedure.
  4. D
    Proceed with obtaining the client's signature on the surgical consent form.

Answer

Contact the healthcare provider to return and clarify the procedure with the client.
The practical nurse acts as an advocate and a witness to informed consent. If a client indicates a lack of understanding about a procedure, the nurse must not proceed with obtaining the signature. Instead, the nurse is legally obligated to notify the healthcare provider to return and provide further clarification, as explaining the medical details of the procedure is strictly the provider's responsibility.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the client's statement regarding the surgery.
The client explicitly states a lack of understanding about the procedure's purpose and events.
Recognizing a knowledge deficit is essential to protecting the client's right to true informed consent.
2
Determine the legal scope of practice for the practical nurse (PN) regarding informed consent.
The nurse identifies that explaining surgical procedures, risks, and benefits is exclusively the provider's responsibility.
Nurses act as witnesses to the signature and verify comprehension, but they do not provide the primary medical explanation.
3
Select the appropriate advocacy intervention.
The nurse halts the consent process and contacts the healthcare provider to return.
This ensures the client's right to make an informed, autonomous decision is upheld without practicing outside the nursing scope.

Key Concept

The role of the practical nurse in informed consent is to act as a witness and advocate, ensuring the client understands the provider's explanation before signing, but never providing the primary explanation of the procedure itself.
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Topics

Client Rights and Advocacy

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