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Reflection on Living with Risk

Weiga Chen

School of Nursing, Trent University

NURS 1002: Introduction to Foundational Practice Concepts

Dr. Beryl Cable-Williams

March 10, 2021

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Reflection on Living with Risk

In my opinion, if a client is mentally capable and has been provided with relevant information

needed to adequately make an informed decision, their decision to live with risk should be respected.

During my childhood, my thoughts and decisions were rarely acknowledged and valued by my parents. I

still have a sense of powerlessness now feeling I do not have control over my life. Thus, I agree that

people should have autonomy to make decisions for themselves because autonomy empowers them to

feel capable of and responsible for managing their health (Arnold & Boggs, 2020, pp. 54); however,

people may lack relevant knowledge, and therefore, nurses should facilitate in their decision-making.

Assumptions should be avoided before talking to clients because everyone’s situation is unique.

However, since no further information is available, I speculate that there might be two reasons why

Carol made different decisions for her son and Marion, and both of which can be explained by lack of

knowledge and communication. First, Carol’s wish for Marion to be safe is understandable, but she

might have underestimated the impact of losing independence on older adults and Marion’s ability and

right to make decisions for herself. Second, Carol might have inadequate knowledge about concussions

which might lead to a false belief that it is not likely for her son to have a life-threatening concussion

because he is young.

I tend to think people make decisions too easily for themselves or for others regarding if to live

with risk; thus, communication is key to promote understanding and help clients make informed

decisions. After Carol’s rationale behind the decisions is explored, she should be made aware that older

adults also have autonomy, and why losing autonomy and independence are detrimental to their well-

being. Pros and cons of living at home or retirement home and how Marion and Carol feel about these

options should be discussed to enhance mutual understanding. Furthermore, Carol should understand

that concussions can be fatal even for young people if they experience second impact syndrome

(Ontario, 2020). There is no right or wrong in choosing if to live with risk because each situation is
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unique, but clients should be given adequate information to make an informed decision; thus, if they

believe benefits overweigh the risks, their decisions should be respected, and further education should

be given regarding how to manage to live with risk and how to prevent adverse events from happening,

such as recognizing the signs of concussions and reducing safety hazards at home to prevent falls.
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References

Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2020). Interpersonal relationship: Professional communication skills for

nurses (8th ed.). St. Louis, Elsevier.

Government of Ontario. (2020). Rowan’s law day. https://www.ontario.ca/page/rowans-law-day