A patient refuses medication. Which is the nurse's first action?
A) Educate the patient about the importance of the medication.
B) Discreetly hide the medication in the patient's favorite gelatin.
C) Agree with the patient's decision and document it in the chart.
D) Explore with the patient reasons for not wanting to take the medication.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The first response is to explore reasons the patient does not want the medication. After the assessment, the nurse can decide what to do next. Educating is important, but it is not the first action. Ultimately, the patient does have the right to refuse the medication; however, the nurse should first try to find out reasons for the refusal and provide education if needed based upon the assessment findings. Hiding medication and deceiving a patient into taking a medication is unethical and violates right to autonomy.

A Patient Refuses Medication