Deck 7: Nursing Values and Ethics

Question 1

A nurse is working with a patient to try to clarify the patient's values in relation to his care.Which of the following is an example of the type of response that the nurse should use in such a situation?

A) "Your questions were pretty blunt."
B) "Tell me what you are thinking about."
C) "I've felt that way before; I'd be upset, too."
D) "You seem concerned about your tests. Let me explain them."

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following themes is a theme of relational ethics?

A) Apathy
B) Compassion
C) Embodiment
D) Accountability

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The patient states that she needs to exercise regularly,watch her weight,and reduce her fat intake.What does this demonstrate about the patient?

A) She believes she will have a heart attack.
B) She values health promotion activities.
C) She believes she will not become sick.
D) She has unrealistic expectations for herself.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In which of the following instances does the nurse recognize that interventions for values clarification are beneficial for the patient?

A) The patient and nurse have different beliefs.
B) The patient is experiencing a values conflict.
C) The nurse is unsure of the patient's values.
D) The patient has rejected normal values.

Question 5

Which of the following statements best illustrates deontological ethical theory?

A) "I believe this disease was allowed to occur by a supreme being."
B) "He has become a stronger individual through experiencing the loss of his father."
C) "It would never be right for a person to stop cardiopulmonary resuscitation efforts."
D) "The chemotherapy did not cure this person, but it provided a better life for him."

Question 6

Which of the following is an aspect of medical futility?

A) A balance between knowledge and caring
B) Patient care directed at symptom management
C) Treatment that will not achieve its therapeutic goal
D) Care that identifies which life-sustaining treatment a patient desires

Question 7

The nurse stops at an accident scene to provide emergency care to the victims.Ethically,how would these actions best be labelled?

A) Respect for persons
B) Beneficence
C) Maleficence
D) Triage

Question 8

Feminist ethicists consider their work to be a critique of which of the following areas?

A) Social values
B) Health care delivery
C) Resource allocation
D) Modern justice practices

Question 9

The nurse observes her colleague administering the wrong medication to a patient.The colleague states,"I am glad it was only Tylenol,so there won't be any adverse effects and I won't have to report it." What is the most appropriate action for the nurse who hears this comment to take?

A) Report the incident to the physician.
B) No action should be taken, as it is the colleague's decision to report the incident.
C) Tell the colleague that an incident form must be completed.
D) Report the incident to the provincial or territorial registering body.

Question 10

Which of the following assists in protecting the patient's right to autonomy?

A) Answerability
B) Informed consent
C) Constrained moral agency
D) Maleficence

Question 11

Which one of the following is an example of ethical responsibility?

A) Delivery of competent care
B) Formation of interpersonal relationships
C) Application of the nursing process
D) Evaluation of new computerized technologies

Question 12

A secondary schoolteacher with advanced multiple sclerosis teaches from her wheelchair but insists on being treated the same as other colleagues.Which of the following is the teacher demonstrating?

A) Preserving dignity
B) Choosing from alternatives
C) Considering all consequences
D) Acting with a pattern of consistency

Question 13

A patient who recently immigrated to Canada believes that she has been made to wait in the emergency department longer than the other individuals because she has not yet qualified for provincial health coverage.Which one of the following ethical principles is involved in this particular situation?

A) Justice
B) Autonomy
C) Beneficence
D) Nonmaleficence

Question 14

The nurse is investigating the process for resolving an ethical problem.Which of the following is the correct sequence for resolving ethical problems?

A) Examining one's own values; evaluating; identifying the problem
B) Evaluating the outcomes; gathering data; considering actions
C) Gathering facts; verbalizing the problem; considering actions
D) Recognizing the dilemma; evaluating; gathering information

Question 15

As the nurse prepares to take Mrs.Jones to the operating room for surgery,Mrs.Jones states,"I wish I knew what was going to happen to me when I am put to sleep." Which initial action by the nurse is most appropriate?

A) Notify the physician.
B) Explain the procedure to the patient.
C) Ask the patient if she would like to postpone surgery.
D) Document the comment on the patient's chart.

Question 16

Which of the following is an example of a nurse's use of the ethical principle of autonomy in a situation with a patient?

A) Learning how to do a procedure safely and effectively
B) Returning to speak to the patient at a mutually agreed time
C) Preparing the patient's room for comfort and privacy
D) Supporting the patient's decision to refuse therapy

Question 17

The nurse always tries to apply ethical principles in her clinical practice.Which following statement reflects the application of the ethical principle of confidentiality?

A) "I'm concerned that decreased funding may affect the outpatient program."
B) "I'm going to make sure that the patient understands the instructions."
C) "I cannot share that information about the patient with you."
D) "I need to get more information about the patient's health history."

Question 18

A nurse is ambivalent about performing vigorous suctioning in a terminally ill patient in a comatose state.Which of the following is the appropriate statement by the nurse in regard to processing this ethical dilemma?

A) "I need to know the legalities of the living will of this patient."
B) "My spiritual beliefs mandate that I continue to provide all the interventions within my scope of practice."
C) "I cannot figure out what's right in this situation. I need to collect more data."
D) "I just feel that I should not suction this patient."

Question 19

A student nurse realizes that she has administered the wrong dose of medication to a patient and immediately informs her clinical instructor of this error.How is this student nurse best described as a professional?

A) Confident
B) Trustworthy
C) Compliant
D) Accountable

Question 20

A patient has just been informed by her physician that she has cancer.The patient says that she is not ready to discuss this with her family.The nurse encourages the patient to consider sharing the information with her family so that the family can support her through the decisions she will need to make regarding her care.Which following principle must the nurse be careful not to breach?

A) Confidentiality
B) Fidelity
C) Veracity
D) Justice