What must you do if a patient refuses care?

When a patient refuses care, it is essential to respect their wishes and report the refusal to the nurse. This response is grounded in the ethical principle of autonomy, which recognizes the patient's right to make decisions about their own healthcare.

Patients have the right to accept or refuse treatment, and it is the responsibility of the healthcare worker to honor those choices while ensuring that they communicate the situation to the supervising nurse. This way, the nurse can assess the situation and provide further guidance, which may involve discussing the implications of the refusal with the patient or exploring their concerns.

Forcing a patient to comply compromises their rights and can lead to physical and emotional harm, while ignoring their decision completely disrespects their autonomy and can lead to additional misunderstandings or issues. Documenting their refusal but providing care anyway violates the ethical obligation to respect a patient's choices and can have legal implications. Thus, reporting to the nurse after respecting the patient's wishes is the proper and ethical course of action.