Ethical and Legal Considerations in End-of-Life Care
Ethical and Legal Considerations in End-of-Life Care ( 4 Questions)
A nurse is providing palliative care to a client who has end-stage heart failure. The client tells the nurse that they want to donate their organs after death. What should the nurse do?
Encourage the client to discuss their decision with their family and obtain their consent. - This is an incorrect option, as the client does not need their family's consent to donate their organs. The client has the right to make decisions about their own body and health care. The nurse should encourage the client to inform their family of their decision, but not pressure them to do so.
Inform the client that they are not eligible for organ donation due to their medical condition. - This is an incorrect option, as the nurse is not qualified to determine the client's eligibility for organ donation. The nurse should not discourage or misinform the client about organ donation. The nurse should refer the client to the organ procurement organization, which will assess the client's suitability and availability of organs.
The nurse should document the client's request and notify the organ Procurement organization, which is responsible for evaluating the client's eligibility, obtaining consent, and coordinating the donation process. The nurse should respect the client's autonomy and support their decision.
Explain the process and risks of organ donation to the client and obtain their informed consent. - This is an incorrect option, as the nurse is not responsible for obtaining informed consent for organ donation. The nurse should provide general information and education to the client about organ donation, but not go into details or risks that are beyond their scope of Practice. The nurse should refer the client to the organ procurement organization, which will obtain informed consent from the client or their designated representative.
Rationale: The nurse should document the client's request and notify the organ Procurement organization, which is responsible for evaluating the client's eligibility, obtaining consent, and coordinating the donation process. The nurse should respect
the client's autonomy and support their decision.
Incorrect options:
A) Encourage the client to discuss their decision with their family and obtain their consent. - This is an incorrect option, as the client does not need their family's consent to donate their organs. The client has the right to make decisions about their own body and health care. The nurse should encourage the client to inform their family of their decision, but not pressure them to do so.
B) Inform the client that they are not eligible for organ donation due to their medical condition. - This is an incorrect option, as the nurse is not qualified to determine
the client's eligibility for organ donation. The nurse should not discourage or misinform the client about organ donation. The nurse should refer the client to the organ procurement organization, which will assess the client's suitability and availability of organs.
D) Explain the process and risks of organ donation to the client and obtain their informed consent. - This is an incorrect option, as the nurse is not responsible for obtaining informed consent for organ donation. The nurse should provide general information and education to the client about organ donation, but not go into details or risks that are beyond their scope of Practice. The nurse should refer the client to the organ procurement organization, which will obtain informed consent from the client or their designated representative.