A nurse is assigned to care for a patient who has been admitted with an opiate overdose and tells the nursing supervisor, "This is a waste of my time. The patient will be back on the needle right after being discharged." The most appropriate response by the nursing supervisor is
A) "Your lack of professionalism will make it difficult for you to provide adequate care."
B) "You know we are obligated to provide appropriate care no matter how we feel."
C) "It is important to recognize these feelings and then figure out how to deal with them."
D) "Since you feel so strongly, perhaps you should be assigned to care for a different patient."

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To provide nonjudgmental care for substance-abusing patients, the nurse must examine his or her own values and feelings. This statement validates the nurse's feelings but recognizes the need to care for the patient in a nonjudgmental way. The response about the lack of professionalism is critical of the nurse and is unlikely to lead to a change in the nurse's attitude. The response about the obligation to care for this patient is accurate but does not encourage the nurse to examine his or her own values. The response about feeling strongly about the patient would solve the immediate problem but would not encourage self-examination.

A Nurse Is Assigned to Care for a Patient Who