So as new nursing students we keep getting told time and again, "Dont read into the question."
Ok fine.
We had a question recently:
"A Native American patient has been refusing to take their medication or attend treatment, which of the following would be a proper nursing response?"
A. Something outrageously not right
B. Something also clearly not right
C. Enlist the help of a family member, to discover if their are traditional healing practices the patient may be more receptive too.
D. Recommend to the provider that the patient be referred for a consult with a social worker.
To me C was clearly not right because, discussing the patient's diagnosis and health status without permission to a 3rd party (even if its family) is a clear violation of HIPAA. While we should respect the patient's culture and beliefs, discussing his diagnosis with an outside party is still a violation.
In D we are bringing the patient's lack of compliance to the provider's attention and using a collaborative team effort (social worker) to help address and overcome the patient's concerns with both the medication and treatment.
So I answered D.
We were told the answer is C. I questioned, "How is this not a clear HIPAA violation? We were told not to read into the questions. The question doesnt state, s/he gave you written permission to discuss their care with a 3rd party."
Response: "It doesnt state you werent given permission either."
Oh so Im supposed to be able to guess when they do and dont want me to read into questions, and in which way Im supposed to be able to read into the question.
The reason that the answer is C is because of this in my opinion.
they stated that the patient was African American- first thing that popped into my head is that she may have a religion that prohibits her from receiving blood transfusions or other emergency medical Interventions .. such as jehovas witnesses.
Then the question stated that she was refusing any treatment, again making me think that her religion is keeping her from taking the directions of the medical staff since the question obviously stated her ethnicity for a reason..
When patients are having moral issues with treatment in regard to their religion often times their families will intervene. This was taught during the first week of our nursing program and is emphasized because you cannot under any circumstances force a patient to obide by any treatment measures, even if they are life saving- if religion does not permit the treatment.
Since you cannot force or push a patient into treatment and it is their decision- saying there is something wrong does not suffice. Also, saying that there should be a social work is wrong because you cannot force a patient to get treatment, especially when religion is involved.
Lastly, asking a family member who may be familiar to her religion if there is any traditional methods she may respond to is perfect because her family will know her religion, beliefs, and what has helped in the past..
You cannot just get social work involved because someone does not obide with treatment, and you are not going to work with staff to do that because you will be the one calling if you had to, and they would not allow you to.
The reason that the answer is C is because of this in my opinion.
they stated that the patient was African American- first thing that popped into my head is that she may have a religion that prohibits her from receiving blood transfusions or other emergency medical Interventions .. such as jehovas witnesses.
The patient is not African American. The OP stated that the patient was a Native American.
The answer is C, of course, for the reasons stated many times in the thread.
In other words, you're re-evaluating the alternative of the patient's medication therapy by reaching to the relatives. D would be a last resort. Try C first. It may help. That's the way I look at it.
You're answering that question. There is no other best answer. C is correct than the D unless it stated that the pt is exhibiting depressive disorder, other mental health or other problems.
Jstimmm
26 Posts
The reason that the answer is C is because of this in my opinion.
they stated that the patient was African American- first thing that popped into my head is that she may have a religion that prohibits her from receiving blood transfusions or other emergency medical Interventions .. such as jehovas witnesses.
Then the question stated that she was refusing any treatment, again making me think that her religion is keeping her from taking the directions of the medical staff since the question obviously stated her ethnicity for a reason..
When patients are having moral issues with treatment in regard to their religion often times their families will intervene. This was taught during the first week of our nursing program and is emphasized because you cannot under any circumstances force a patient to obide by any treatment measures, even if they are life saving- if religion does not permit the treatment.
Since you cannot force or push a patient into treatment and it is their decision- saying there is something wrong does not suffice. Also, saying that there should be a social work is wrong because you cannot force a patient to get treatment, especially when religion is involved.
Lastly, asking a family member who may be familiar to her religion if there is any traditional methods she may respond to is perfect because her family will know her religion, beliefs, and what has helped in the past..
You cannot just get social work involved because someone does not obide with treatment, and you are not going to work with staff to do that because you will be the one calling if you had to, and they would not allow you to.