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DESCRIPTION OF THE CASE: Ralph is a recent widower in his mid-60's, who was diagnosed with metatastasized colon cancer. He is a home health agency patient, and his primary caregivers are his two daughters. Ralph is unaware of the severity of his condition and wan ....

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.... to decide which course of treatment to follow. A patient's right to decide includes the right to know the truth, not be brainwashed, and not be lied to or deceived by having information withheld that is relevant to his own health. There is a moral standard that condemns lies, deception and withholding of relevant information. To tell Ralph that "everything was all right and he would be up and around the house in no time at all" is deceptive, as his condition is terminal, although he does not yet realize it. The ANA Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice states that clients should be educated about ther illness, which is subsumed within Standards of ....