A patient in liver failure tells the nurse, “My wife is so selfless; she has offered to donate her liver to me. I can’t let her die for me, though.” Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

“Talk to me more about your concerns about your wife dying.”. Individuals can do a living donation of a piece of the liver, so it does not require the wife to die in order to donate. The nurse must first determine the patient’s concern about his wife’s death in order to know how to best address the patient’s concerns. Perhaps the patient is concerned the procedure is too dangerous or the wife will have to survive without a liver. Although it is true that liver cells regenerate from small pieces of liver tissue, this is not the best initial response because it might not fully address the patient’s concerns. Although individuals on life support with no chance of recovery do donate livers, this is not the only way liver donations occur. Setting up an appointment for the wife to undergo testing does not address the patient’s concerns.

A patient in liver failure tells the nurse, “My wife is so ...

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Management of Care
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Category: Management of Care
Difficulty: 5

Topics: Communication & Documentation

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