The nurse provides a terminally ill client with dose of a newly prescribed pain medication. Shortly afterwards, the client experiences respiratory arrest and dies. Which of the following describes this client scenario?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes the principle of double effect, where the administration of a medication has both a therapeutic and potentially harmful effect (in this case, respiratory depression leading to death) but the intention is to relieve pain and suffering. This is different from euthanasia (where the intention is to hasten death) and assisted suicide (where the client actively participates in ending their own life).

The Nurse Provides a Terminally Ill Client with Dose of a Newly