1. When and by whom was nursings first code of ethics written?
a. 1893, by Lystra Gretter
b. 1950, by the ANA House of Delegates
c. 1953, by the
... [Show More] International Council of Nurses (ICN)
d. 2001, by the ANA House of Delegates
ANS: A
The Nightingale Pledge, considered nursings first code of ethics, was written by Lystra Gretter in 1893.
2. A nurse didnt know what to do when faced with a particular ethical dilemma because an option that would have a good outcome didnt seem possible. The nurse decided to talk to the agency supervisor and decide what action to take. Which of the following best describes the nurses actions?
a. Appropriate, because the supervisor is responsible for the nurses choices
b. Intelligent, because the supervisor has access to resource persons (clergy, physicians, administrators) who might know of options the nurse hadnt considered
c. Justified, because this provides an opportunity to discuss the issue but the nurse maintains responsibility for the decision
d. Wise, because the supervisor would be more knowledgeable concerning agency priorities and traditional practices
ANS: C
Ethically, each nurse is responsible for his or her own decisions and cannot avoid ethical accountability by relying on obedience to a supervisor or any external rule or policy.
3. Which of the following is the first and most crucial step in the ethical decision-making process?
a. Assess the context or environment in which the decision must be made.
b. Consider the various ethical principles or theories.
c. Identify the ethical concerns.
d. Make a decision and act on it.
ANS: C
The first step in the ethical decision-making framework is to carefully identify the ethical issue or dilemma.
4. A nurse is asked to meet with a family who recently emigrated from Botswana (Africa). After the clinical doctor tells the husband the wifes diagnosis of breast cancer, the family thanks the physician and starts to leave. Ethically, which of the following is the nurses most important action?
a. Emphasizing that the family must set up a surgical appointment for the wife immediately
b. Assessing the familys current living situation, including insurance and other assets
c. Educating the family concerning the usual treatment and the prognosis of breast cancer
d. Interviewing the family concerning their perspective of the threat to the familys well-being
ANS: D
Any of the actions might be taken. However, the United States is a multicultural nation with diverse ethnic groups and diverse values. Before any intervention can be made, the health care professionals must understand the familys cultural, psychological, social, communal, and environmental contexts, because these contexts affect the way issues are formulated and decisions are made. Consequently, it is crucial to interview the family to determine their understanding of the situation before deciding what, if any, intervention must be made. In many cultures the family, rather than the individual, is the unit of primary concern.
5. The nurse learns that a family has decided not to accept medical intervention for a health care problem because paying for the care would drastically reduce the familys resources and ability to meet the needs of other family members. Ethically, which of the following actions should be taken by the nurse?
a. Appreciate that the family has made the decision that it feels is best and take no further action if it is clear the family has made an informed choice.
b. Stress that each individual in society has a right to health care and the family will have to create some way to raise funds for the needed treatment.
c. Talk to the media to see whether a campaign to raise funds for the family can be created.
d. Try to convince the agency to give the care for free, even if it means economic stress for the agency, because the medical need is obvious.
ANS: A
As Callahan described, although the nurse may attempt moral persuasion to change the familys values, in the absence of immediate and grievous harm, no ethical requirement exists to interfere with the familys values.
6. Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. The father is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, It is a wifes responsibility to care for an ill husband. Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse?
a. Consequentialism
b. Communitarianism
c. Deontological ethics
d. Principlism
ANS: C
The nurse is focusing on duty, which is a deontological approach based on the moral obligation to engage in certain actions.
7. Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. One member of the family is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, The whole family is being affected and will fall apart if they dont focus on their familys needs first before anything else. Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse?
a. Communitarianism
b. Deontological ethics
c. Principlism
d. Utilitarianism
ANS: D
By focusing on the whole family, not individual members, and the consequences or outcomes for the whole family during this time of stress, the nurse is taking a utilitarian approach. [Show Less]