To help a comatose client’s family make a moral decision regarding the

To help a comatose client’s family make a moral decision regarding the termination of life sup-port, the nurse must first:

1. Refrain from expressing his/her personal beliefs concerning the life support issue
2. Provide the family with information regarding the process of terminating life support
3. Determine whether the client had expressed any written or oral wishes regarding the issue
4. Facilitate the family’s decision-making process by providing them with a quiet, private space for discussion

ANSWER

ANS: 1
Nurses need to know their own moral reasoning level. Recognizing one’s own moral develop-mental level is essential in separating your own beliefs from others when helping clients with their moral decision-making process. Information regarding the process of terminating life support should be provided only after the family makes their decision or has asked for the information. To not influence the family, the nurse must first refrain from interjecting any personal feelings about the termination of life support measures.