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.
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.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. Assist the client with a bowel cleansing.A bowel cleansing is necessary before an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) to ensure the urinary tract is clearly visualized on the X-ray images. Residual stool or gas in the intestines can obscure the view of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder.
B.Ensure the client is free of metal objects.While ensuring the client is free of metal objects is critical for procedures involving magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or X-rays of the skeletal system, it is not specifically required for an IVP.
C.Monitor the client for pain in the suprapubic region.Monitoring for suprapubic pain is more relevant after procedures such as catheterization or bladder studies, or in cases of suspected urinary retention or infection.
D.Administer 240 mL (8 oz) of oral contrast before the procedure.An IVP involves injecting contrast dye intravenously, not orally. Oral contrast is typically used for gastrointestinal studies, such as a CT scan of the abdomen or barium swallow.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Whisper a series of words softly into one ear.
Explanation: Whispering words into one ear is not part of Weber's test. This action is more relevant to the assessment of hearing acuity and not the lateralization of sound. Weber's test focuses on the perception of sound in relation to both ears, not the ability to hear whispered words.
B. Place an activated tuning fork in the middle of the client's forehead.
Explanation: In Weber's test, a tuning fork is placed in the middle of the client's forehead. The test is designed to assess whether sound lateralizes (moves) to one ear or is heard equally in both ears. If the client perceives the sound more in one ear than the other, it may indicate a hearing imbalance or issue.
C. Deliver a series of high-pitched sounds at random intervals.
Explanation: Delivering high-pitched sounds at random intervals is not part of Weber's test. Weber's test involves a single action – placing an activated tuning fork in the middle of the client's forehead. The purpose is to determine if the client perceives the sound equally in both ears or if there is lateralization. Random intervals and high-pitched sounds are not specified components of this test.
D. Hold an activated tuning fork against the client's mastoid process.
Explanation: While holding a tuning fork against the mastoid process is part of another hearing test called the Rinne test, it is not the appropriate action for the Weber's test. The Rinne test compares air conduction (using the tuning fork near the ear) to bone conduction (using the tuning fork against the mastoid process) to evaluate hearing in each ear. In Weber's test, we are specifically interested in lateralization of sound, not comparing air and bone conduction.
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