Four patients in labor all request epidural analgesia to manage their pain at the
same time. Which ethical principle is compromised when only one
... [Show More] nurse
anaesthetist is on call?
A. Justice
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Beneficence
D. Fidelity - ANS: A
Justice refers to fairness and is used frequently in discussion regarding access to
health care resources. Here the just distribution of resources, in this case pain
management, cannot be justly apportioned.
The patient tells the nurse that she is afraid to speak up regarding her desire to end
care for fear of upsetting her husband and children. Which principle in the nursing
code of ethics ensures that the nurse will promote the patient's cause?
A. Responsibility
B. Advocacy
C. Confidentiality
D. Accountability - ANS: B
Nurses advocate for patients when they support the patient's cause. A nurse's ability
to adequate advocate for a patient is based on the unique relationship that develops
and the opportunity to better understand the patient's point of view.
The patient's son requests to view the documentation in his mother's medical
record. What is the nurse's best response to this request?
A."I'll be happy to get that for you."
B. "You will have to talk to the physician about that."C."You will need your mother's permission."
D."You are not allowed to see it. - ANS: C
The nurse understands that sharing health information is governed by HIPAA
legislation, which defines rights and privileges of patients for protection of privacy.
Private health information cannot be shared without the patient's specific
permission.
When people work together to solve ethical dilemmas, individuals must examine
their own values. This step is crucial to ensure that
A. The group identifies the one correct solution.
B. Fact is separated from opinion.
C. Judgmental attitudes are not provoked.
D. Different perspectives are respected - ANS: D
Values are personal beliefs that influence opinions. To be able to negotiate
differences in opinions, the nurse must first be clear about personal values, which
will influence behaviors, decisions, and actions.
Ethical dilemmas are common occurrences when caring for patients. The nurse
understands that dilemmas are a result of
A. Presence of conflicting values.
B. Hierarchical systems.
C. Judgmental perceptions of patients.
D. Poor communication with the patient. - ANS: A
The nurse questions a physician's order to administer a placebo to the patient. The
nurse's action is based on which ethical principle?
A. Autonomy
B. BeneficenceC. Justice
D. Fidelity - ANS: A
Autonomy refers to the freedom to make decisions free of external control. In this
case, the nurse questions the physician's order for a placebo because it supports the
patient's autonomy.
The nurse finds it difficult to care for a patient whose advance directive states that
no extraordinary resuscitation measures should be taken. Which step may help the
nurse to find resolution in this assignment?
A. Call for an ethical committee consult.
B. Decline the assignment on religious grounds.
C. Scrutinize her own personal values.
D. Convince the family to challenge the directive - ANS: C
Values develop over time and are influenced by family, schools, religious
traditions, and life experiences. The nurse must recognize that no two humans have
the same set of experiences, and so differences in values are more likely the norm
than the exception.
The nurse values autonomy above all other principles. Which patient assignment
will the nurse find most difficult to accept?
A. Teenager in labor who requests epidural anesthesia
B. Middle-aged father of three with an advance directive declining life support
C. Elderly patient who requires dialysis
D. Family elder who is making the decisions for a 30-year-old female member -
ANS: D
Autonomy refers to freedom from external control. A person who values autonomy
highly may find it difficult to accept situations where the patient is not the primary
decision maker regarding his or her care. A teenager requesting an epidural, a
father with an advanced directive, and an elderly patient requiring dialysis alldescribe a patient or family that can make their own decisions and choices
regarding care
Which philosophy of healthcare ethics would be particularly useful when making
ethical decisions about vulnerable populations?
A. Feminist ethics
B. Deontology
C. Bioethics
D. Utilitarianism - ANS: A
Feminist ethics particularly focuses on the nature of relationships, especially those
where there is a power imbalance or a point of view that is not routinely accepted.
A nurse argues that we need to reform our healthcare system because we have a
large number of people who are uninsured and end up needing expensive emergent
care when low-cost measures could have prevented their illnesses. What ethical
framework is she using to make this case?
A. Deontology
B. Ethics of care
C. Feminist ethics
D. Utilitarianism - ANS: D
Utilitarianism is a system of ethics that believes that value is determined by
usefulness. This system of ethics focuses on the outcome of the greatest good for
the greatest number of people.
The nurse has become aware of missing narcotics in the patient care area. Which
ethical principle obligates the nurse to report the missing medications?
A. Advocacy
B. ResponsibilityC. Confidentiality
D. Accountability - ANS: B
Responsibility refers to one's willingness to respect and adhere to one's
professional obligations. One of the obligations nursing has is to protect patients
and communities, including other nurses.
A young woman who is pregnant with a fetus exposed to multiple teratogens
consents to have her fetus undergo serial PUBS (percutaneous umbilical blood
sampling) to examine how exposure affects the fetus over time. Although these
tests will not improve the fetus' outcomes and will expose it to some risks, the
information gathered may help infants in the future.Which ethical principle is at
greatest risk?
A. Autonomy
B. Fidelity
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Beneficence - ANS: C
Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle that focuses on avoidance of harm or hurt.
The nurse must balance risks and benefits of care. Repeated PUBS may place the
mother and fetus at risk for infection and increased pain, and may place the mother
at risk for increased emotional health stress.
Which issue has increased the attention paid to quality of life concerns in recent
history?
A. Health care disparities
B. National movement regarding disabled persons
C. Aging of the population
D. Health care financial reform - ANS: B
Quality of life (QOL) is often at the center of ethical dilemmas, including futile
care and DNR discussions, and has been reshaped in the United States.Which patient is most likely to have difficulty with the ethical concept of
autonomy?
A. 18-year-old patient in labor
B. 35-year-old patient with appendicitis
C. 53-year-old patient with pancreatitis
D. 78-year-old patient with rheumatoid arthritis - ANS: D
The principle of autonomy refers to freedom from external control and includes
commitment to include patients in decisions about their care. People from different
generations have differing expectations regarding inclusion in their care. Often,
patients who are part of the Silent Generation (born 1925-1945) value formality
and authority, which may make them less comfortable with making their own
healthcare decisions. [Show Less]