The nurse cares for an unconscious client with a dissecting aortic aneurysm that needs urgent surgery. The client's family cannot be tracked. The nurse's priority action is:
The nurse cares for an unconscious client with a dissecting aortic aneurysm that needs urgent surgery. The client's family cannot be tracked. The nurse's priority action is:
A. Send the client to surgery.
[71%]
B. Call the hospital lawyer.
[3%]
C. Search for all the client's contacts who can provide informed consent.
[2%]
D. Notify the nursing supervisor on-call and request their permission to waive informed consent.
[23%]
Statistics
Subject/Lesson
Subject
Leadership & Management
Lesson
Ethical/Legal
Client Need
Test Plan
Management of Care
Related Topic
Informed Consent
Item Type
Item Type
Application
Explanation
Choice A is correct. An aortic aneurysm dissection is an emergency. When urgent surgery is needed for a life-threatening diagnosis and if the client is not in a position to give consent, delaying the surgery to obtain informed consent may result in the client's morbidity or death. Reasonable efforts can be made to notify the family if they can be contacted promptly. However, if the family cannot be located or reached promptly, surgery should still proceed without the need for informed consent.
Choice B is incorrect. It is ethically and legally appropriate to proceed with the surgery on this client. The hospital lawyer does not need to be called.
Choice C is incorrect. Surgery without informed consent is legally and ethically appropriate in an emergency. There is no need to trace all the client's contacts who can consent to the surgery. Such an attempt will delay the life-saving surgery for this client.
Choice D is incorrect. The nursing supervisor on call does not need to be notified, nor does she have the authority to waive informed consent.
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2 Key Topics
Informed Consent
