A nurse in an emergency department is caring for a client who is unconscious and requires surgery. There is no one available to give consent for the treatment. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Prepare the client for surgery.

Obtain consent from the surgeon.

Contact the facility's ethics committee for guidance.

Keep the client stable until a family member arrives to give consent.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

A. Prepare the client for surgery:
In emergency situations, if immediate intervention is required to save the client’s life or prevent significant harm, the principle of implied consent may apply. This means that if the client is unconscious and immediate treatment is necessary, healthcare providers may proceed with treatment under the assumption that the client would consent if able. However, this should be done in accordance with facility policies and legal guidelines.
B. Obtain consent from the surgeon:
The surgeon is not the appropriate person to obtain consent from in this situation. Informed consent should ideally come from the client or a legal surrogate decision-maker, depending on the circumstances. Surgeons are responsible for discussing the procedure with the patient or their authorized representative before surgery, but obtaining consent is not the nurse's role.
C. Contact the facility's ethics committee for guidance:
While the ethics committee may provide guidance in complex ethical situations, the immediate concern in this emergency situation is to address the client's life-threatening condition. The nurse should prioritize actions that ensure the client receives timely and necessary medical care.
D. Keep the client stable until a family member arrives to give consent:
While obtaining consent from a family member is ideal, waiting for consent can delay critical and time-sensitive interventions. In emergency situations, the priority is to provide necessary medical care promptly to stabilize the client. If there is no one available to give consent immediately, healthcare providers may proceed with necessary interventions to preserve life and limb.

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Correct Answer is B

Explanation

A. Respiratory rate:

Respiratory rate is not part of an anthropometric assessment. Anthropometry primarily focuses on physical measurements related to body size, composition, and proportions.

B. Weight:

Anthropometric assessment involves the measurement of various body dimensions, and weight is a

changes over time, and contribute to the overall understanding of a client's health and well-being.

C. Current pain level:

Pain level is not typically included in an anthropometric assessment. Anthropometry is more concerned with physical measurements and does not directly assess subjective experiences like pain.

D. Level of orientation:

Level of orientation is not a component of an anthropometric assessment. Anthropometry is concerned with objective physical measurements and does not assess cognitive or perceptual factors.

A. An assistive personnel prevents a client from leaving the facility. B. An assistive personnel discusses client care in the facility cafeteria with visitors present. C. A nurse administers a medication without first identifying the client. D. A nurse begins a blood transfusion without obtaining consent from a client.

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A. An assistive personnel prevents a client from leaving the facility:

This situation may raise ethical concerns related to patient autonomy and freedom of movement. However, it is not a clear example of negligence. Negligence is more directly related to the provision of care and the failure to meet the standard of care.

B. An assistive personnel discusses client care in the facility cafeteria with visitors present:

This situation involves a breach of confidentiality and may violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, it is not an example of negligence. Negligence typically involves a failure to provide appropriate care rather than a breach of privacy.

C. A nurse administers a medication without first identifying the client:

This is an example of negligence. Negligence refers to the failure to provide the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would have provided under similar circumstances. In this case, administering medication without first identifying the client is a breach of the standard of care, and it can lead to serious consequences, including harm to the patient.

D. A nurse begins a blood transfusion without obtaining consent from a client:

This is an example of a legal issue related to lack of informed consent. While it raises ethical and legal concerns, it may not necessarily be considered negligence, which is more related to a failure in providing care up to the standard. However, it is still a serious violation of ethical and legal principles.

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A nurse in an emergency department is caring for a client who is unconscious and requires surgery. There is no one available to give consent for the treatment. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

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