A nurse is caring for a client who is terminally ill and receiving nutritional support. The client's adult children disagree about continuing nutritional support. The dilemma is referred to the ethics committee. Which of the following actions should the nurse expect the committee to take?

The correct answer is choice B: "This is a procedure that does not require written informed consent."

Choice B rationale: Informed consent is typically required for invasive procedures, surgery, or treatments that carry significant risks. While inserting an indwelling urinary catheter is considered an invasive procedure, it is generally not a procedure that requires written informed consent. Nurses often have standing orders or standardized procedures in place for catheterization, and consent is usually implied or obtained verbally.

Choice A rationale: Although providers prescribe procedures, consent is still necessary in many cases. However, as mentioned above, written informed consent is not typically required for urinary catheter insertion due to its routine nature in medical care.

Choice C rationale: Discussing the issue with the charge nurse is unnecessary since written informed consent is not generally required for this procedure. The nurse should instead focus on educating the family about standard hospital practices.

Choice D rationale: Asking the family to sign the informed consent form at this point is not appropriate, as it implies that the procedure should not have been performed without written consent. Additionally, urinary catheterization does not typically require written informed consent, so asking them to sign a form could create confusion or unnecessary concern.

Choice A rationale:

Assigning clients who have had stem cell transplants to the same room is not a recommended practice. Clients with compromised immune systems should be isolated to reduce the risk of infection transmission. Placing them together increases the potential for exposure to infectious agents.

Choice B rationale:

Obtaining a rectal temperature on clients every 4 hours is not specifically related to caring for clients following stem cell transplants. Vital sign monitoring is essential, but the frequency and method of temperature measurement can vary based on the individual client's condition and clinical judgment.

Choice C rationale:

(Correct Choice) Wearing an N95 respirator mask while caring for clients following stem cell transplants is important due to their compromised immune systems. These clients are at higher risk of infections, and N95 masks provide enhanced respiratory protection against airborne pathogens.

Choice D rationale:

Placing clients in positive-pressure airflow rooms is not a standard practice for caring for clients following stem cell transplants. Positive-pressure rooms are often used for clients with conditions like immunodeficiency, but stem cell transplant recipients are generally placed in protective isolation rooms to minimize infection risk.