A patient is admitted with severe anemia requiring urgent intervention. The parents refuse the transfusion due to religious beliefs. The most appropriate action by the nurse is to:
A.
Consult the hospital’s ethics committee and legal team while providing alternative treatments
B.
Convince the parents to change their mind by emphasizing the severity and potential for fatality
C.
Immediately administer the transfusion to save the patient’s life, regardless of the parents' wishes
D.
Respect the family’s wishes to withhold the blood transfusion, and document their refusal
When treatment is urgently required but parents refuse based onreligious beliefs, the nurse mustinvolve the ethics committee and legal team. This supports patient advocacy, honors familybeliefs, and ensures compliance with legal and ethical standards in pediatric care.
“In cases of refusal of life-saving treatment, the ethics team and legal counsel should be consulted. The nurse must not act unilaterally but advocate for the patient while respecting family beliefs.”
(Referenced from CCRN Pediatric – Professional Caring and Ethical Practice: Ethical Dilemmas and Legal Considerations in Pediatric Care)
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