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Question

Difficulty: MediumClient Rights and Advocacy

A client who recently received a terminal diagnosis explicitly tells the healthcare team, "I do not want my children to know about my condition." Later that afternoon, the client's adult child, who is listed in the chart as the emergency contact, approaches the practical nurse and asks for an update on the client's recent biopsy results. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. A
    Provide a brief overview of the biopsy results because the child is the documented emergency contact.
  2. B
    Conduct a comprehensive psychosocial assessment of the family's readiness to receive the difficult news.
  3. Inform the child that privacy regulations prohibit the disclosure of medical information and encourage them to speak directly with the client.Answer
  4. D
    Instruct the child that they will now need to sign informed consent forms for the client's upcoming palliative treatments.

Answer

Inform the child that privacy regulations prohibit the disclosure of medical information and encourage them to speak directly with the client.
The correct action prioritizes the client's right to privacy and confidentiality. A competent client has the absolute right to determine who receives their health information. The nurse must respect this decision, even if the inquiring individual is a close family member or listed as an emergency contact, by maintaining privacy and therapeutically redirecting the inquiry back to the client.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the client's request regarding their medical information.
The client explicitly refused to share their diagnosis with their children.
Client rights include the right to privacy and absolute control over who receives their protected health information.
2
Evaluate the status of the adult child inquiring about the results.
The child is listed as an emergency contact, but this does not override the client's explicit wish for privacy.
Emergency contacts are meant for notification in acute, incapacitating emergencies, not for the routine sharing of medical updates against a competent client's wishes.
3
Determine the appropriate practical nurse response.
The nurse must respectfully withhold the medical update and redirect the child.
This maintains legal compliance with confidentiality regulations and respects the client's autonomy.

Key Concept

Client Confidentiality and Autonomy
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Topics

Client Rights and Advocacy

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