Question

A nurse on a med surgical unit is assisting with the admission of a client who has advanced lung cancer. which of the following statements regarding advance directives should the nurse take? a)Contact the facility's risk manager to verify if the client has a living will. b)Tell the client that a family member should serve as a health care surrogate. c)Ensure that an attorney has reviewed the client's advance directives. d)Document the client's decisions about end of life care in the medical record.

Answer 1

The nurse should document the client's decisions about end of life care in the medical record, as advance directives like living wills and DNR orders detail a patient's medical treatment preferences and may appoint a health care proxy.

Step-by-step explanation:

In assisting with the admission of a client who has advanced lung cancer, the nurse should take the following action regarding advance directives: d) Document the client's decisions about end of life care in the medical record. Advance directives such as a living will or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order are legal documents that specify a patient's choices regarding medical treatment and interventions. These documents may appoint a health care proxy to make decisions on the patient's behalf if they become unable to communicate their wishes. It is important to ensure that these wishes are clearly recorded in the medical record. The nurse does not necessarily need to involve an attorney or the facility's risk manager to verify if the client has a living will, or tell the client that a family member should serve as a health care proxy, because the client's preferences for end-of-life care and their choice of proxy, if any, should have already been established and documented.

Answer 2

The correct answer is d.) The nurse should document the client's decisions about end-of-life care in the medical record.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assisting with the admission of a client who has advanced lung cancer, the nurse should take the following statement regarding advance directives: d) Document the client's decisions about end-of-life care in the medical record.

Advance directives are legal documents that help individuals communicate their healthcare wishes in advance, particularly if they become incapacitated. In this scenario, documenting the client's decisions about end-of-life care is essential to ensure that their wishes are respected and followed. This information should be recorded in the client's medical record so that healthcare providers are aware of their preferences and can provide appropriate care.