Exam 3: Critical Thinking, Ethical Decision Making and the Nursing Process

You are providing care for a patient who has a diagnosis of pneumonia attributed toStreptococcus pneumonia infection. Which of the following aspects of nursing care would constitute part of the planning phase of the nursing process?

The nurse caring for a patient who is two days post hip replacement notifies the physician that the patients incision is red around the edges, warm to the touch, and seeping a white liquid with a foul odor. What type of problem is the nurse dealing with?

A medical nurse has obtained a new patients health history and completed the admission assessment. The nurse has followed this by documenting the results and creating a care plan for the patient. Which of the following is the most important rationale for documenting the patients care?

A patient has been diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer. He has met with the oncologist and is now weighing the relative risks and benefits of chemotherapy and radiotherapy as his treatment. This patient is demonstrating which ethical principle in making his decision?

An elderly patient is admitted to your unit with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. During admission the patient states, I have a living will. What implication of this should the nurse recognize?

A nurse has been providing ethical care for many years and is aware of the need to maintain the ethical principle of nonmaleficence. Which of the following actions would be considered a contradiction of this principle?

The physician has recommended an amniocentesis for an 18 -year-old primiparous woman. The patient is 34 weeks gestation and does not want this procedure. The physician is insistent the patient have the procedure. The physician arranges for the amniocentesis to be performed. The nurse should recognize that the physician is in violation of what ethical principle?

Achieving adequate pain management for a postoperative patient will require sophisticated critical thinking skills by the nurse. What are the potential benefits of critical thinking in nursing? Select all that apply.

The nursing instructor cites a list of skills that support critical thinking in clinical situations. The nurse should describe skills in which of the following domains? Select all that apply.

A nurse uses critical thinking every day when going through the nursing process. Which of the following is an outcome of critical thinking in nursing practice?

While receiving report on a group of patients, the nurse learns that a patient with terminal cancer has granted power of attorney for health care to her brother. How does this affect the course of the patients care?

You are the nurse who is caring for a patient with a newly diagnosed allergy to peanuts. Which of the following is an immediate goal that is most relevant to a nursing diagnosis of deficient knowledge related to appropriate use of an EpiPen?

The nursing instructor is explaining critical thinking to a class of first-semester nursing students. When promoting critical thinking skills in these students, the instructor should encourage them to do which of the following actions?

The nurse has just taken report on a newly admitted patient who is a 15year-old girl who is a recent immigrant to the United States. When planning interventions for this patient, the nurse knows the interventions must be which of the following? Select all that apply.

A group of students have been challenged to prioritize ethical practice when working with a marginalized population. How should the students best understand the concept of ethics?

A nurse provides care on an orthopedic reconstruction unit and is admitting two new patients, both status post knee replacement. What would be the best explanation why their care plans may be different from each other?

During discussion with the patient and the patients husband, you discover that the patient has a living will. How does the presence of a living will influence the patients care?

During report, a nurse finds that she has been assigned to care for a patient admitted with an opportunistic infection secondary to AIDS. The nurse informs the clinical nurse leader that she is refusing to care for him because he has AIDS. The nurse has an obligation to this patient under which legal premise?

A care conference has been organized for a patient with complex medical and psychosocial needs. When applying the principles of critical thinking to this patients care planning, the nurse should most exemplify what characteristic?

A patient with migraines does not know whether she is receiving a placebo for pain management or the new drug that is undergoing clinical trials. Upon discussing the patients distress, it becomes evident to the nurse that the patient did not fully understand the informed consent document that she signed. Which ethical principle is most likely involved in this situation?