Deck 5: Values, Ethics and Advocacy

Question 1

A hospice nurse has been working closely with a client who, on several occasions, has asked about guidance and support in ending her life. The nurse, in making an ethical and moral decision, should recognise that:

A) assisted suicide is illegal in all States and Territories.
B) active euthanasia is supported in the Code for Nurses.
C) passive euthanasia is an easy decision to arrive at.
D) advanced health directives resolve many end of life problems.

Answer 1

advanced health directives resolve many end of life problems.

Question 2

When patients and families are facing difficult choices, nurses are the ones who are there to:

A) make the best of the situation.
B) decide what may be best for them.
C) support and advocate for them.
D) listen to their complaints.

Answer 2

support and advocate for them.

Question 3

Which of the following fundamental responsibilities of nurses is not included in the preamble of the International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics?

A) Provide self-regulation in the profession.
B) Promote health.
C) Alleviate suffering.
D) Prevent illness.

Answer 3

Provide self-regulation in the profession.

Question 4

A nurse is having difficulty with the decision for aggressive cancer therapy in an elderly client, wondering if the therapy will actually be more harmful than the disease and knowing that the client will be subjected to harmful chemicals. This nurse is struggling with which of the following principles?

A) Non-maleficence.
B) Justice.
C) Autonomy.
D) Beneficence.

Question 5

A newly graduated nurse commences work in a ward and quickly learns that time pressure requires her to practice differently to what she learnt at the university. This is an example of:

A) culture shock.
B) values clarification.
C) attitude adjustment.
D) values transmission.

Question 6

Which of the following does not describe the characteristics of a code of ethics?

A) Formal statement.
B) Same standards as legal standards.
C) Shared by group members.
D) Serves as a standard for professional actions.

Question 7

A client has been complaining of pain, even though the nurse has given the client the maximum amount of medication as ordered by the physician. Which of the following demonstrates the nurse's respect for the client's autonomy?

A) Telling co-workers that this client has no pain tolerance.
B) Telling the client that he will have to "tough it out".
C) Believing the client is drug-seeking.
D) Calling the physician for further orders.

Question 8

A pregnant client says her main concern is that her baby will be born healthy, even though she admits to drinking alcohol on a regular basis. This client is struggling with which of the following?

A) Values clarification.
B) Morals.
C) Values transmission.
D) Ethics.

Question 9

The International Council of Nurses Code of Ethics states that nurses have four fundamental responsibilities. They are:

A) to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to respect human rights.
B) to promote health, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering.
C) to render health services to the individual, to prevent illness, to restore health and to alleviate suffering.
D) to promote health, to promote the right to life and choice, to restore health and to alleviate suffering.

Question 10

A 20-year-old client with Down syndrome is able to live in an assisted environment and work part-time for a local bookstore. The parent of this client is adamant about not initiating a course of treatment whose side-effects are unknown with Down syndrome clients. According to the nursing code of ethics, the nurse's first loyalty is to which of the following?

A) The physician.
B) The parent.
C) The client.
D) The nurse.

Question 11

A client with terminal cancer is dying. For the past several days, the client has refused food and fluids, and pushes the caregiver's hands away when attempts are made to feed the client or offer any kind of fluid. The family is considering placing a gastrostomy tube because they feel the client is "starving to death". The nurse should:

A) honour the client's refusal and help the family come to terms with the situation.
B) take the case to the hospital's ethics committee.
C) talk to the physician so he or she can move forward with the family's wishes.
D) honour the family's wishes and have them sign a consent form.

Question 12

The local hospital is planning to incorporate a struggling private clinic into the infrastructure of the hospital. Although relocating the clinic may cause transportation difficulty for some clients, keeping the clinic running will allow current employees as well as clients the continued benefit of the service. This is a specific example of which theory?

A) Utilitarianism.
B) Deontological theory.
C) Relationships-based theory.
D) Teleological theory.

Question 13

Parents of a terminally ill child have decided to remove their child from life support, a decision that has met with much negative reaction. The nurse practices the value of autonomy through which of the following?

A) Referring the parents to social services.
B) Asking to be assigned to a different client.
C) Showing respect for the family.
D) Respecting the parents' decision.

Question 14

A 2-year-old child is admitted to the ward with severe injuries from domestic violence. The nurse tells the mother that she should go home and leave the child to rest. The moral framework the nurse has used is:

A) consequence-based theory.
B) relationships-based theory.
C) principles-based theory.
D) utilitarianism.

Question 15

Enduring beliefs about the worth of a person or object are called:

A) beliefs.
B) attitudes.
C) values.
D) ethics.

Question 16

A client has chosen to discontinue hemodialysis. His family is not supportive of his decision. The nurse who uses the theory of principles-based reasoning would make which of the following statements?

A) "This client is of sound mind and is capable of making his own decisions regarding health care. It really is his decision to make."
B) "The client understands his decision and the advanced stage of his disease. If he quits treatment, he will die."
C) "This client's health is so deteriorated that the treatment is not saving his life. It is prolonging the ultimate outcome, which is his death."
D) "I need to try and help the family understand the client's decision so they can work through this situation together."

Question 17

A student nurse accidentally left the call light outside the reach of an elderly client. Luckily, another nurse noticed the situation and was able to rectify the matter before something happened. The student responded: "I know better. I should've double-checked where the light was before I left the room." This student is demonstrating which of the following?

A) Justice.
B) Fidelity.
C) Accountability.
D) Responsibility.

Question 18

The nurse respecting a patient's right to make decisions even when those choices seem to the nurse not to be in the patient's best interest is said to practice the principle of:

A) autonomy.
B) human dignity.
C) social justice.
D) altruism.

Question 19

A good ethical decision is one that:

A) promotes the patient's need for autonomy whilst preserving the integrity of the team involved in the patient's care.
B) supports each family member whilst preserving the integrity of the patient.
C) is in the patient's best interest whilst preserving the integrity of the team involved in the patient's care.
D) is in the patient's best interest whilst preserving the integrity of all.

Question 20

A toddler who has just been admitted to the paediatric unit is crying and scared. No treatment has been initiated at this point. The nurse needs to start an IV and the parent asks, "Will this be painful to my child?" In practicing veracity, the nurse responds:

A) "It shouldn't be too bad and I'll be quick."
B) "We'll take every care not to hurt your child."
C) "I won't lie to you. It may be easier for you if you step out until we get the line in."
D) "We do this all the time, so don't worry."

Question 21

A client has been admitted to the ward after having a motor vehicle accident whilst intoxicated. The nurse on duty hides her car keys to prevent her from leaving the ward. The client asks the student nurse where her keys are. In order to be an advocate for her client the student nurse should:

A) tell her that they must have been misplaced.
B) keep her distracted and not answer the question.
C) tell her that they are being kept safe until she is ready for discharge.
D) openly discuss options with her and collaborate with the doctor to ensure her safety.

Question 22

Being an effective client advocate includes all of the following except:

A) ability to exert political action.
B) ability to recognise the individual's rights and values.
C) ability to work with other health care providers.
D) ability to be aggressive.

Question 23

An important strategy to enhance a nurse's ethical decisions and practice include which of the following?

A) Honouring the client's wishes.
B) Being familiar with the nursing code of ethics.
C) Respecting the client's privacy and confidentiality.
D) Not disclosing any information to anyone.

Question 24

Some of the day-to-day direct care issues found to be troublesome for nurses caring for competent adults were identified as:

A) telling the client that she needs to discuss issues with family members, patient autonomy, privacy and patient rights.
B) issues of patient autonomy, privacy, patient rights and informed consent.
C) reporting a situation to the physician, patient rights and informed consent.
D) issues of privacy, patient rights and staffing and resources.