Author Question: An older woman is brain dead, and the attorney-in-fact or surrogate named in her DPA is opposed to ... (Read 74 times)

serike · **on:** Jul 11, 2018

An older woman is brain dead, and the attorney-in-fact or surrogate named in her DPA is opposed to organ donation; the law in the state allows a surrogate with a DPA to make end-of-life decisions.

Although she failed to document it, her family states that she wanted to donate her organs. Given the law about a DPA, what does the nurse expect the surrogate to do? a. Deny consent. c. Refuse to decide.
b. Provide consent. d. Get a second opi-nion.

Question 2

Although the older male adult who was forced to retire from law enforcement has mul-tiple physical complaints, the primary care health care provider finds nothing abnormal.

After the man tells the nurse that his girlfriend just left him, which is the priority nursing intervention to complete before the older adult leaves? a. Ask him how he plans to cope with his loss.
b. Use direct questions about access to firearms.
c. Collaborate with provider for antidepressants.
d. Allow him to express himself by intent listening.

Viet Thy · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 11, 2018

Answer to Question 1

B
A DPA acts at the pleasure of the designator, can manage the designator's finances, and func-tions as the designator's health care surrogate, making judgments for the designator using subs-tituted judgment when the designator is unable to do so. Therefore, in accordance with the law and the woman's wishes according to her family, the surrogate should provide consent for organ harvesting. It is against the law and unethical for the DPA for this older adult to deny consent for organ harvesting. Because the attorney-in-fact named in the DPA is her health care surrogate, the attorney-in-fact must make a decision on behalf of the woman and cannot refuse to do so. The attorney-in-fact can get another opinion on the older adult's neurological status but not as a way to avoid the decision concerning organ harvesting.

Answer to Question 2

B

Feedback
A Incorrect. This is a reasonable intervention for this older adult for the nurse to include in the plan of care in light of his risk factors for suicide.
B Correct. The nurse's priority intervention is to ask him directly about access to firearms because he has familiarity with guns, and risk factors for suicide in older adults include male gender, physical complaints of unknown etiology, and having suffered a loss recently.
C Incorrect. This is a reasonable intervention for this older adult for the nurse to include after a comprehensive assessment.
D Incorrect. This is a reasonable intervention for this older adult for the nurse to include because it helps the nurse establish a trusting, caring relationship with him.