1
visibility

You are caring for a high risk pregnant client who is in a life threatening situation. The fetus is also at high risk for death. Clinical decisions are being made that concern you because some of these treatments and life saving measures promote the pregnant woman’s life at the same time that they significantly jeopardize the fetus’ life and viability and other decisions can preserve the fetus’s life at the expense of the pregnant woman’s life. Which role of the nurse is the priority at this time?

  • A

    Case manager

  • B

    Collaborator

  • C

    Coordinator of care

  • D

    Advocacy

Correct Response: D

The priority role of the nurse is advocacy. The nurse must serve as the advocate for both the fetus and the mother at risk as the result of this ethical dilemma where neither option is desirable. As an advocate, the nurse would seek out resources and people, such as the facility’s ethicist or the ethics committee, to resolve this ethical dilemma.