A patient suffered a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident and has no brain activity. The patient has a living will which states no heroic measures. The family requests that no additional heroic measures be instituted for their son. The nurse respects this decision in keeping with the principle of
a. accountability.
b. autonomy.
c. nonmaleficence.
d. veracity.
b. autonomy.
The correct answer is b. autonomy.
Autonomy refers to the principle of respecting an individual's right to make decisions about their own healthcare. In this case, the patient has a living will that clearly states their wishes regarding the use of heroic measures. Respecting the patient's autonomy means honoring their decision and not instituting additional heroic measures, as requested by the family.
The answer to the question is B. autonomy.
To arrive at this answer, we can use the process of elimination and understanding the principles involved. Let's break it down:
- Accountability (A) refers to the healthcare professionals taking responsibility for their actions and being answerable for their decisions. While important in healthcare, it is not directly related to the scenario described.
- Nonmaleficence (C) is the principle of doing no harm to the patient. In this situation, not instituting additional heroic measures aligns with the idea of avoiding harm, but it is not the primary principle at play here.
- Veracity (D) is the principle of truthfulness and honesty. While truthfulness is important in patient care, it is not the central principle in this scenario.
This leaves us with autonomy (B). Autonomy is the principle that recognizes an individual's right to make decisions about their own healthcare. In this case, the patient's living will explicitly states their wishes to not have heroic measures, and the family is requesting that these wishes be respected. Respecting the patient's autonomy means honoring their wishes even when they are unable to communicate or make decisions themselves.
Therefore, the nurse respects the family's decision in keeping with the principle of autonomy.