Scenario: You see another nurse practitioner writing a prescription for her husband, who is not a patient of the nurse practitioner. The prescription is for a narcotic. You can’t decide whether or not to report the incident

Scenario: You see another nurse practitioner writing a prescription for her husband, who is not a patient of the nurse practitioner. The prescription is for a narcotic. You can’t decide whether or not to report the incident

Ethical and Legal Implications

Treating a person with whom the prescriber has an intimate relationship can lead to

serious consequences and potentially result in the loss of the right to practice (Arizona Board of

Nursing (AZBN), 2015). Ideally, refraining from treating family and friends, as well as self-

treatment, should be avoided. There are a few issues with the scenario that should be discussed.

Firstly, the nurse practitioner holds an emotional and intimate relationship with her spouse that

may compromise his/her professional objectivity. Emotional feelings may also immensely clout

professional medical judgment that could interfer with care. In addition, the medication