A widowed woman is being admitted for emergency cardiac surgery by the nurse. She is asking the nurse questions about who will make decisions for her if something goes wrong during her surgery. Which of these is the correct course of action for the nurse?

According to the Patient Self Determination Act of 1990, it is the nurse’s legal duty to inform and educate clients on advance directives upon admission to any healthcare facility. This includes assessment of whether or not the client requires advance directives, facilitating the creation of the documents, and ensuring they are part of the medical record. The nurse may not act as a healthcare proxy for the client.