Question

a nurse is providing care to four clients in an acute care setting. the nurse should identify that which of the following client statements presents an ethical dilemma?

• \i might file a lawsuit because of how my surgery went.\
• \please dont tell my doctor, but i am taking my partners oxycodone.\
• \please dont get me out of bed this morning, it hurts too much.\
• \i dont want to take my medicine. it makes me sick to my stomach.\

Explanation:

An ethical dilemma in nursing involves conflicting moral obligations. The client asking the nurse not to tell the doctor about taking their partner’s oxycodone creates a conflict between maintaining client confidentiality (a moral duty) and ensuring the client’s safety/ethical prescribing (since oxycodone is a controlled substance, misusing it and hiding this from the doctor risks harm and violates medical ethics around accurate care planning). The other options: filing a lawsuit is a legal, not ethical dilemma; refusing to get out of bed or take medicine are personal choices, not ethical conflicts.

Answer:

B. "Please don't tell my doctor, but I am taking my partner's oxycodone."