While working with a male client and administering medications, the fe

While working with a male client and administering medications, the female nurse is approached sexually. The nurse should:

1. Have a male nurse assume care for this client
2. Immediately report the incident to the client’s physician
3. Tell the client that his behavior is offensive and leave the room
4. Review and define the limits of a professional relationship for the client

ANSWER

ANS: 4
The nurse should convey a message of acceptance of the client, but not the inappropriate behav-ior. Reviewing and defining the professional relationship with the client can accomplish this. Matching the gender of the health care worker with the gender of the client may be beneficial when dealing with assessment of sexual needs or sex education. However, in this instance, the client needs to be informed that inappropriate sexual behavior is unacceptable. To turn the cli-ent’s care over to a male nurse would not resolve the problem, and would convey a message of dislike and lack of acceptance of the client. Reporting the incident immediately to the client’s physician would not be the nurse’s best action. The client needs to be made aware of the problem in order to discontinue such behavior. Telling the client his behavior is offensive and then leaving the room is not therapeutic. The client needs to be reminded of the professional relationship he shares with the nurse.