Question

A nurse is caring for a client who is comatose. The client has a living will that declines the use of artificial enteral nutrition as a life-sustaining measure, but the client's family has requested that the staff begin tube feedings. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A) Respect the living will and decline the family's request for tube feedings.
B) Initiate tube feedings per the family's request, disregarding the living will.
C) Consult the healthcare team but prioritize the family's request.
D) Engage in open communication, advocate for the client's wishes as per the living will, and involve the healthcare team and ethics committee if necessary.

Answer 1

The nurse should respect the living will of the comatose client, which declines the use of tube feedings, and should engage in open communication while advocating for the client's wishes. The healthcare team and possibly an ethics committee should be involved if necessary.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse is caring for a client who is comatose and has a living will declining the use of artificial enteral nutrition, the actions taken should honor the intentions of the client expressed in their living will. In this scenario, the nurse should:

• Respect the living will and decline the family's request for tube feedings.
• Engage in open communication, advocate for the client's wishes as per the living will, and involve the healthcare team, potentially including an ethics committee, should the situation require further discussion.

This respects the client's autonomy while providing a space for the family's concerns to be heard and considered. The decision should ultimately be based on the client's expressed wishes rather than the family's request.