The nurse is caring for an older client with a fractured hip. The clie

QUESTION

The nurse is caring for an older client with a fractured hip. The client asks the nurse about the nature of her condition. The nurse’s response should be,

a. “You have a fractured femur,” stated in a loud voice.
b. “You will have to speak to your physician about your diagnosis.”
c. “Do you wish to call your son to discuss it with him because he talked with the MD?”
d. “When you fell at home, you broke your hip.”

ANSWER:

ANS: D
Clear communication, altruism, caring, and professional ethics are essential components of interprofessional professionalism. In saying loudly that the patient has a fractured femur, the nurse is stereotyping the client as hard of hearing and providing information she may not understand. The patient has the right to receive information from a direct caregiver other than the physician. The client’s confidentiality may have been breached when the son was informed of her condition without her knowledge.