Deck 44: Ethics

Question 1

When faced with ethical dilemmas,which are some of the elements of risk management that can assist nurses in decision making? Select all that apply.

A) Education
B) Peer support and consultation
C) Resource accumulation
D) Righteousness
E) Financial support

Answer 1

Education
Peer support and consultation
Resource accumulation

Question 2

The nurse is caring for an older adult client who will undergo surgery in the morning.While assessing the client,the nurse discovers that the client does not have an adequate understanding of the procedure.The nurse discusses the situation with the charge nurse to determine the best course.Which is the reason for the nurse to take action in this situation?

A) The client is very old and has multiple health problems.
B) The family needs to agree to surgery.
C) The nurse witnessed the consent.
D) The client has a right to informed consent.

Answer 2

The client has a right to informed consent.

Question 3

Staff at the hospital have decided to strike in order to try to improve working conditions.Which are some of the ethical issues that a nurse working in the hospital will have to consider when deciding whether or not to honor the picket line? Select all that apply.

A) The need to support coworkers in their efforts to improve working conditions
B) The need to ensure that clients receive care and are not abandoned
C) The desire to take some time off
D) Loyalty to the nurse's employer
E) The need for higher pay

Answer 3

The need to support coworkers in their efforts to improve working conditions
The need to ensure that clients receive care and are not abandoned
Loyalty to the nurse's employer

Question 4

A nurse has taken a position in the hospital setting.The nurse knows one role of the professional nurse is that of client advocate.Which must the nurse be aware of in preparation to act as a client advocate? Select all that apply.

A) The rights of a client in a long-term care facility
B) The health department's client rights statement
C) The hospital's client rights statement
D) State and federal client rights legislation
E) The unit policy manual

Question 5

The nurse on the transplant organ team encounters new ethical dilemmas with the advent of social and technological changes.Which dilemmas might the transplant team encounter today? Select all that apply.

A) Cloning
B) Genetic alteration of disease
C) Determining who "deserves" treatment
D) Healthcare provider loyalty to insurance companies
E) Staffing issues

Question 6

The nurse is caring for a client who has chosen to discontinue hemodialysis.The client's family,however,is not supportive of the decision.The nurse who uses the theory of principles-based reasoning would make which statement regarding the current situation?

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

Question 7

A nurse is caring for an older adult client with terminal cancer.The client's family wants to continue treatment,but the client would like to discontinue treatment and go home.The nurse agrees to be present while the client tells the family.Which principle is the nurse supporting?

A) Beneficence for the client
B) Autonomy for the client
C) Nonmaleficence for the client
D) Justice for the client

Question 8

A nurse educator is talking to a student about how to deal with an ethical dilemma in practice.Which does the nurse educator explain to the student as important regarding actions during an ethical dilemma?

A) Examining all conflicts in the situation.
B) Investigating all aspects of the situation.
C) Relying on nursing judgment.
D) Making a decision based on the policy of the agency.

Question 9

The nurse is caring for a client in the intensive care unit (ICU)who was in a motor vehicle accident.The healthcare provider asks the nurse to extubate the client because there is no communication between the brain and body due to a cervical fracture.The family agrees with the decision of the healthcare provider,but the nurse is uncomfortable pulling the tube.Which is the reason the nurse is experiencing difficulty with this task?

A) An ethical conflict.
B) Personal values.
C) Legal issues.
D) Cultural values.

Question 10

A nurse is volunteering time in a local free clinic that provides care to the underinsured population.By volunteering time to work in the clinic,this nurse is demonstrating which professional value?

A) Human dignity
B) Social justice
C) Integrity
D) Altruism

Question 11

A client with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)is admitted to the acute care floor.According to a 1994 American Nurses Association (ANA)position statement,which stance addressing this bioethical issue is appropriate?

A) The nurse is morally obligated to care for the client unless the risk exceeds responsibility.
B) The nurse has the responsibility to ensure the client gets adequate medical care.
C) The client has the right to choose not to disclose his or her condition to staff.
D) The client is morally bound to disclose every aspect of his or her condition to staff.

Question 12

The nurse is caring for a client on a medical-surgical unit.The client tells the nurse that the healthcare provider has refused to treat the client further if the client continues to be noncompliant with the healthcare provider's recommendations.Which is the priority nursing action in this situation?

A) Take the issue to the hospital ethics committee.
B) Advise the client to sue the healthcare provider.
C) Have the client contact a consumer agency.
D) Notify the healthcare provider of the client's complaints.

Question 13

A nurse educator is teaching a group of nursing students about the American Nurses Association (ANA)Code of Ethics for professional nurses.Which student nurse response describes the ANA code of ethics?

A) "It alleviates suffering for those cared for by professional nurses."
B) "It provides standards for professional nursing practice."
C) "It reflects legal judgments in professional nursing practice."
D) "It serves as legal standards for professional nursing practice."

Question 14

A pregnant client with a history of drug use refuses testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV),despite the recommendation of her nurse-midwife.Which actions by the nurse are appropriate in this situation? Select all that apply.

A) Refuse to treat the client.
B) Do the testing anyway.
C) Re-emphasize the importance of HIV testing.
D) Offer counseling.
E) Throughout the pregnancy, encourage the client to reconsider the decision not to be tested.

Question 15

The nursing instructor is conducting a class regarding nursing ethics with a group of first-year nursing students.The instructor determines that the students have retained the necessary information when the student makes which statement regarding the ANA Code of Ethics?

A) "It is used by all health care professionals."
B) "It guides nurses in their professional behavior and relationships."
C) "It is the only code of ethics available for nurses."
D) "It forms the basis for possible lawsuits."

Question 16

The nurse is talking with a parent who decides to decline treatment for a 3-year-old client whose cancer has metastasized.There is a conflict between the parents and the rest of the family regarding the withdrawal of care from the child.Which should the nurse consider when determining the appropriate action for this client?

A) The beliefs of the child
B) The values of the parents
C) The age of the child
D) The values of the rest of the family

Question 17

What are some reasons the nurse might withhold food and fluids from a client? Select all that apply.

A) A competent and informed client refuses them.
B) A son decides that it is his father's time to die.
C) It is determined to be more harmful to administer them than to withhold them.
D) A schizophrenic client believes that they are being poisoned.
E) The nurse thinks that the client is in too much pain.

Question 18

A client comes to the clinic and is found to have a sexually transmitted infection (STI).The client states to the nurse,"Promise you won't tell anyone about my condition." According to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)of 1996,which action must the nurse take?

A) Honor the client's wishes.
B) Respect the client's privacy and confidentiality.
C) Communicate only necessary information.
D) Not disclose any information to anyone.

Question 19

A hospice nurse is working with a client who has ovarian cancer.The client is concerned that her two daughters are at an increased risk for cancer and asks for the nurse's help.Which actions by the nurse are appropriate? Select all that apply.

A) Provide the family with information on hereditary cancer risks.
B) Assure the client that ovarian cancer is not hereditary.
C) Offer to refer the daughters to a genetic counselor.
D) Arrange for the client to have genetic testing.
E) Tell the client that her additional worrying is too stressful.

Question 20

A hospice nurse is working closely with a client who,on several occasions,has asked about guidance and support in ending life.The nurse recognizes which in regard to making ethical and moral decisions in this circumstance?

A) Euthanasia has legal implications along with moral and ethical ones.
B) Passive euthanasia is an easy decision to arrive at.
C) Active euthanasia is supported in the Code for Nurses.
D) Assisted suicide is illegal in all states.

Question 21

A nurse providing hospice care for an older adult client.The nurse is approached by the client's adult child.The adult child believes that her other parent,who is in a nursing home,is being neglected.What suggestions can the nurse offer in this situation? Select all that apply.

A) Contact the client advocate at the nursing facility.
B) Contact the local newspaper.
C) Encourage the daughter to immediately place her mother in a different facility.
D) Contact the consumer protection agency.
E) Report suspicions to the licensing agency.

Question 22

The nurse performing an admission assessment on a client must inform the client of client rights and responsibilities.Which client rights are considered standard by many healthcare agencies? Select all that apply.

A) You have a right to be informed about the care you receive.
B) You have the right to refuse care.
C) You have the right to be treated with courtesy and respect.
D) You have the right to know the names of your caregivers.
E) You have the right to be appointed a personal advocate by the healthcare provider.

Question 23

What are some of the rights clients have in the when receiving care with a healthcare system? Select all that apply.

A) A client has the right to be given information only in English.
B) Clients have the right to refuse care.
C) Clients have the right to know when something goes wrong with their care.
D) Clients have the right to have a personal representative (advocate) with them during their care.
E) Clients have the right to know the titles, but not necessarily the names, of their caregivers.

Question 24

A nurse educator is explaining the idea of health care as a partnership between provider and client.Which are client responsibilities that some hospitals have included in their client bill of rights? Select all that apply.

A) Involving your family in your healthcare decisions
B) Reporting accurate and complete information about your health to your healthcare team
C) Asking questions asked by your healthcare team
D) Immediately paying all expenses not covered by insurance
E) Accepting the consequences if you fail to comply with instructions given to you

Question 25

The nurse on the mother-baby unit is confronted by a client who states,"I know my rights and you have to do what I tell you!" Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

A) "I don't mind doing anything within reason, but you have a responsibility to be considerate to the staff as well."
B) "That statement is not included in your patient rights; don't yell at me."
C) "Why do you feel angry…did I do something you did not like?"
D) "Do you want me to take the baby to the nursery so you can calm down?

Question 26

An adolescent client diagnosed with leukemia decides to stop chemotherapy treatments.The parents of the client,however,want the healthcare team to continue all treatments as necessary.Which action by the nurse is appropriate when providing care to this client and family?

A) Helping the family by providing information and allowing them to voice concerns
B) Confronting the parents and telling them not to be "selfish" in their child's time of need
C) Calling the authorities immediately
D) Obtaining a court order to determine the client legally able to make his or her own decisions

Question 27

A client tells his nurse,"I really don't like the nurse on first shift; she treats me bad." Which action should the nurse take as an advocate for this client?

A) Call the agency client advocacy department.
B) Confront the nurse when she comes to work.
C) Tell the client he has the right to switch nurses.
D) Call the local authorities.