Without authorization, a nurse administers an extra dose of narcotic tranquilizer to an agitated client. The nurses coworker observes this action but does nothing for fear of repercussion. What is the ethical interpretation of the coworkers lack of involvement?

Question

Without authorization, a nurse administers an extra dose of narcotic tranquilizer to an agitated client. The nurses coworker observes this action but does nothing for fear of repercussion. What is the ethical interpretation of the coworkers lack of involvement??  
A. Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker.  
B. Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility.  
C. Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen.  
D. Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.

NursesPath · Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: (A)Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker.. 
Rationale: The choice that aligns with the client data is Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker..A. Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker.This matches the stem because The coworkers lack of involvement can be interpreted as an action taken. The coworker is experiencing an ethical dilemma in which a decision needs to be made between two unfavorable alternatives. Although the coworker may be struggling with ethical decision making, he or she has witnessed another nurse dispensing medication outside of the scope of practice; therefore, from a legal perspective, this should be reported. 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.B. Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility.This reflects a related idea, but it fits best when the idea in “Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility.” 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. Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen.This could seem tempting if the idea in “Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen.” 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.D. Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.This could seem tempting if the idea in “Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.” 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.ConclusionThe stem provides enough information to select the most accurate interpretation without adding extra assumptions. The chosen answer reflects the correct framework, and the remaining choices drift toward incomplete, premature, or misdirected reasoning.

Without authorization, a nurse administers an extra dose of narcotic tranquilizer to an agitated client. The nurses coworker observes this action but does nothing for fear of repercussion. What is the ethical interpretation of the coworkers lack of involvement?

A
Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker.

B
Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility.

C
Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen.

D
Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.

The choice that aligns with the client data is Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker..

Related Questions

Without authorization, a nurse administers an extra dose of narcotic tranquilizer to an agitated client. The nurses coworker observes this action but does nothing for fear of repercussion. What is the ethical interpretation of the coworkers lack of involvement?

A Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker. B Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility. C Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen. D Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.

The choice that aligns with the client data is Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker..

Related Questions

A
Taking no action is still considered an action by the coworker.

B
Taking no action releases the coworker from ethical responsibility.

C
Taking no action is advised when potential adverse consequences are foreseen.

D
Taking no action is acceptable, because the coworker is only a bystander.