Advance Directives And Surrogate Decision-Making Practice Test

A 57-year-old client is found unresponsive at home and is admitted with an intracranial hemorrhage. The client has a wallet card stating a health care proxy, but the proxy cannot be reached; the client’s neighbor arrives and offers to make decisions. Current assessment: blood pressure 176/96 mm Hg, heart rate 62/min, irregular respirations, Glasgow Coma Scale score 6. How should the nurse proceed if the surrogate decision-maker is unavailable?

A 79-year-old client with advanced dementia is admitted with aspiration pneumonia. The client’s advance directive requests no antibiotics and comfort-focused care; the client’s son states, "Give antibiotics; Mom would want to live." Current assessment: temperature 38.6°C (101.5°F), blood pressure 102/60 mm Hg, heart rate 110/min, nonverbal and does not follow commands. What should the nurse do FIRST when the family member disagrees with the advance directive?