Which situation contradicts the ethical principle of veracity?
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A
A nurse provides a client with outpatient resources to benefit recovery.
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B
A nurse refuses to give information to a physician who is not responsible for the clients care.
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C
A nurse tricks a client into seclusion by asking the client to carry linen to the seclusion room.
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D
A nurse treats all of the clients equally regardless of illness severity.
The interpretation supported by the scenario is A nurse tricks a client into seclusion by asking the client to carry linen to the seclusion room..
A. A nurse provides a client with outpatient resources to benefit recovery.
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “A nurse provides a client with outpatient resources to benefit recovery.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
B. A nurse refuses to give information to a physician who is not responsible for the clients care.
This reflects a related idea, but it fits best when the idea in “A nurse refuses to give information to a physician who is not responsible for the clients care.” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
C. A nurse tricks a client into seclusion by asking the client to carry linen to the seclusion room.
This aligns with the concept that The nurse who tricks a client into seclusion has violated the ethical principle of veracity. The principle of veracity refers to ones duty to always be truthful and not intentionally deceive or mislead clients. Need: Safe and Effective Care Environment The underlying principle in the stem is best addressed by choosing the response that is both specific to the cue provided and consistent with evidence-informed psychiatric nursing practice. From a nursing standpoint, this selection guides assessment and interventions toward what is most clinically meaningful in the moment—risk reduction, safety, accurate appraisal, and support for adaptive coping.
D. A nurse treats all of the clients equally regardless of illness severity.
This sounds reasonable when the idea in “A nurse treats all of the clients equally regardless of illness severity. ” addresses a different mechanism or priority than the one emphasized by the stem The wording does not track the stem’s main cue, so selecting it would shift the nurse away from the most precise interpretation or priority.
Conclusion
The scenario is best handled by identifying what the nurse must interpret or prioritize first and then choosing the statement that fits that requirement with the least distortion. The distractors have surface appeal, but they do not align as tightly with the clinical cue embedded in the stem.