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Soru

Zorluk: OrtaEthical Practice

An alert and oriented adult client is admitted to the medical-surgical unit with a severe bacterial infection. The client repeatedly refuses to take the prescribed oral antibiotics, stating, "I do not believe in taking synthetic medications." The client's spouse privately hands the nurse a cup of pudding and says, "Just crush the pill and hide it in here. He needs this medicine to get better." Which action by the nurse demonstrates the most appropriate ethical practice?

  1. A
    Warn the client that refusing the medication will inevitably result in a transfer to the intensive care unit.
  2. B
    Administer the crushed medication in the pudding to uphold the principle of beneficence.
  3. Decline the spouse's request and explain that the client has the right to make informed decisions about their care.Cevap
  4. D
    Instruct the unlicensed assistive personnel to feed the client the medicated pudding.

Cevap

Decline the spouse's request and explain that the client has the right to make informed decisions about their care.
The correct action demonstrates the nurse's commitment to the ethical principles of autonomy and veracity. An alert, oriented, and competent adult has the absolute right to refuse any medical treatment, including life-saving or condition-improving medications like antibiotics. Covert administration (hiding medication in food or drink) without a competent client's knowledge or consent is deceptive and constitutes a severe violation of their autonomy and trust. The nurse must act as an advocate for the client by protecting this right and educating the well-intentioned family member about the legal and ethical boundaries of healthcare.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Assess the client's competency and decision-making capacity.
The scenario indicates the client is an alert and oriented adult, meaning they are fully competent to make their own healthcare decisions.
Competency determines whether a client legally and ethically retains the right to autonomously refuse or accept medical interventions.
2
Evaluate the spouse's request against core ethical principles.
Hiding medication in food (covert administration) involves deception, which violates the principles of veracity (truth-telling) and autonomy (self-determination).
Nurses are ethically bound to obtain informed consent and cannot deceive competent clients to force compliance, even if the prescribed treatment is physically beneficial.
3
Determine the appropriate nursing intervention.
The nurse must advocate for the client's rights by refusing the spouse's request and providing education on the client's right to refuse care.
Advocacy ensures the client's ethical and legal rights are protected against coercion or paternalism from family members or other healthcare providers.

Anahtar Kavram

Autonomy and Veracity in Informed Refusal
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Konular

Ethical Practice

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