A home health nurse is performing a safety assessment of a client's home. Which of the following findings should the nurse identify as a safety hazard?

Choice A reason: A living will does not provide protection against malpractice. It is a legal document that expresses the client's wishes regarding medical care in the event of a terminal illness or injury.

Choice B reason: A living will does not designate a health care surrogate to make health care decisions. A health care surrogate is a person who is authorized by the client or the court to make health care decisions for the client when the client is unable to do so.

Choice C reason: A living will does not document that the client gave informed consent. Informed consent is the process of obtaining the client's voluntary agreement to a proposed treatment or procedure after providing adequate information about the benefits, risks, and alternatives.

Choice D reason: A living will allows the client to refuse life-sustaining treatments. This is the main purpose of a living will, as it gives the client the right to self-determination and autonomy over their own body and health.

Choice A reason: This is not the correct choice because the Good Samaritan Act is a law that protects health care providers and other individuals from legal liability when they provide emergency care to someone who is injured or ill outside of a health care facility. The act does not apply to the staff in the emergency department, who are expected to follow the standards of care and obtain consent for treatment.

Choice B reason: This is the correct choice because implied consent is a type of consent that is assumed when a client is unable to give verbal or written consent due to their condition, and the treatment is necessary to save their life or prevent further harm. The staff can proceed with emergency surgery based on implied consent, as the client is unconscious and has extensive internal injuries that require immediate intervention.

Choice C reason: This is not the correct choice because a living will is a document that expresses a client's wishes regarding their end-of-life care, such as whether they want to receive life-sustaining treatments or not. A living will does not apply to the client in this scenario, who is not terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state, and who may recover from their injuries with surgery.

Choice D reason: This is not the correct choice because nonmaleficence is an ethical principle that means to do no harm or prevent harm to the client. Nonmaleficence does not permit the staff to proceed with emergency surgery, as it does not override the need for consent. The staff should also consider the principle of beneficence, which means to do good or promote the well-being of the client.