To Tell or Not to Tell You assessed your patient every hour because of elevated blood pressure. The fourth time you checked it during your shift, you noted that the reading was 195/105, more elevated...

To Tell or Not to Tell

You assessed your patient every hour because of elevated blood pressure. The fourth time you checked it during your shift, you noted that the reading was 195/105, more elevated than previously. The patient asked you, “How was the reading this time?” You replied, “This time I got a reading higher than before. I am going to check it again in 15 minutes and, in the meantime, notify your physician of my findings. I will return in just a few minutes.” The choice of the nurse was to tell the truth to the patient even if it caused anxiety. The nurse also knew that the patient’s anxiety may have been increased by feeling that information was being denied to him or by the uncertainty of not knowing. He may be reassured that action was being taken.