A nurse is caring for a client who is comatose and has advance directives that indicate the client does not want life-sustaining measures. The client's family wants the client to have life-sustaining measures. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Support the family's decision and initiate life-sustaining measures: The nurse must honor the client’s advance directives, which take precedence over family wishes. Initiating life-sustaining measures against the client’s documented wishes would violate ethical and legal standards. B. Complete an incident report: Completing an incident report is not appropriate in this situation because no error or unsafe practice has occurred. The issue involves ethical conflict, not a reportable incident. C. Encourage the family to contact an attorney: While the family may seek legal guidance, the nurse’s role is to facilitate ethical and clinical discussions, not direct them toward legal action. Legal counsel may complicate timely decision-making. D. Arrange for an ethics committee meeting to address the family's concerns: Involving the ethics committee provides a structured forum to discuss the client’s wishes, clarify ethical obligations, and mediate the conflict between the family and the advance directives. This supports patient autonomy while addressing family concerns.