Question 1

The major responsibility for upholding patient care standards belongs to the:

Accepted Answer

A)   chief executive officer of the facility.
B)   nurse manager.
C)   on-call physician.
D)   staff nurse providing patient care. B

Question 2

An elderly client becomes confused after surgery. He is in a room farthest away from the nurse's station. The client has been trying to get out of bed several times during the shift. The nurse documents this very well. The client falls out of bed and breaks his hip. Who can possibly be held negligent? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   Client's wife
B)   Nurse manager
C)   Pharmacist
D)   Staff RN B, D

Question 3

The court has found that a registered nurse (RN) harmed a patient by violating his rights. The nurse is ordered to pay the patient a large sum of money. The court has determined that the nurse has committed a:

Accepted Answer

A)   civil act.
B)   criminal act.
C)   critical wrong.
D)   quality breach. A

Question 4

Which ethical principle is violated when the RN tells the hospital accountant that the patient is HIV-positive? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   Beneficence
B)   Veracity
C)   Confidentiality
D)   Autonomy
E)   Fidelity

Question 5

A staff nurse is facing a dilemma between meeting clinical ethical standards and meeting organizational goals. The nurse manager understands that the best way to assist staff members in resolving ethical dilemmas effectively is to focus on:

Accepted Answer

A)   doing the right thing and taking the right action.
B)   meeting clinical standards before organizational goals.
C)   meeting organizational goals before clinical standards.
D)   referring indecisive staff members for additional training.

Question 6

The nurse on a medical unit is caring for a 19-year-old with complications from a congenital heart defect. The client's mother is consistently at the bedside asking questions and attempting to direct the treatment plan. Which of the following shows how the nurse should communicate with the mother?

Accepted Answer

A)   Discuss personal information that the client shared with the nurse in confidence.
B)   Provide the mother with any information required for continuity of care.
C)   Explain that client confidentiality prevents the nurse from disclosing information.
D)   Ask the client if he gives permission for the nurse to share information with the mother.

Question 7

Which of the following are examples of intentional torts that may occur in the health care field? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   Slip and fall in the hospital cafeteria
B)   Patient restrained by the neck utilizing the nurse's arm
C)   Ovary removal against the patient's signed consent
D)   Restraining a patient without a physician's order
E)   Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer

Question 8

Professional safeguards that protect the nurse from being wrongfully accused of malpractice include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   Code of Ethics
B)   Statute of Limitations
C)   Affidavit of Merit
D)   Standard of Proof
E)   Sources of Law

Question 9

On admission, the patient was found to have a blood glucose level of 218. The RN knows that except in emergency situations, it is hospital policy to obtain physician's orders before administering any medication. Because the on-call physician did not return the page, the nurse administered insulin according to the common sliding scale. Four hours later, the patient was found nonresponsive in her bed and later died. According to the autopsy, the patient died from heart failure. Her postmortem blood glucose level was 22. Being aware of the hospital policy for medication administration, the patient's blood glucose level presented the nurse with a(n):

Accepted Answer

A)   assessment option.
B)   clinical choice.
C)   ethical dilemma.
D)   moral decision.

Question 10

A nurse manager is evaluating the efficiency of a process on the nursing unit. The manager believes that the unit could be more efficient if one aspect of this process were delegated to unlicensed personnel. To establish whether the delegation of this duty would be legal, he should check with the:

Accepted Answer

A)   ANA.
B)   current federal defense attorney.
C)   state nurse practice act.
D)   policy and procedure manual of the unit.

Question 11

On admission, the patient was found to have a blood glucose level of 218. The RN knows that except in emergency situations, it is hospital policy to obtain physician's orders before administering any medication. Because the on-call physician did not return the page, the nurse administered insulin according to the common sliding scale. Four hours later, the patient was found nonresponsive in her bed and later died. According to the autopsy, the patient died from heart failure. Her postmortem blood glucose level was 22. The nurse's actions are an example of:

Accepted Answer

A)   breach of contract.
B)   common negligence.
C)   intentional malpractice.
D)   medical oversight.

Question 12

"To do good for others" is an example of which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

A)   Nonmaleficence
B)   Fidelity
C)   Beneficence
D)   Confidentiality

Question 13

To establish legal liability on the grounds of malpractice, the injured party must prove which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)   A duty of care was owed to the injured party.
B)   An agreement was made to assume another party's liability.
C)   There was a breach of duty.
D)   Causation was present.
E)   Actual harm or damages were suffered by the plaintiff.

Question 14

Which ethical principle is violated when there are insufficient community resources to meet the needs of low-income families?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

On admission, the patient was found to have a blood glucose level of 218. The RN knows that except in emergency situations, it is hospital policy to obtain physician's orders before administering any medication. Because the on-call physician did not return the page, the nurse administered insulin according to the common sliding scale. Four hours later, the patient was found nonresponsive in her bed and later died. According to the autopsy, the patient died from heart failure. Her postmortem blood glucose level was 22. Because of the nurse's actions, the admitting hospital may be found to be:

Accepted Answer

A)   a judicial risk.
B)   an ostensible authority.
C)   indemnified.
D)   vicariously liable.

Question 16

A new RN is observed breaking sterile technique by the perioperative nurse. This is an example of a violation of which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 17

A staff nurse came in to work the 7 PM to 7 AM shift. She had met her friends for "happy hour" earlier in the evening. Her breath smells of alcohol. If this nurse is allowed to provide care for patients, she may be at risk for:

Accepted Answer

A)   maleficence.
B)   melange.
C)   nonmaleficence.
D)   nonmelange.

Question 18

Nurse managers are able to respond better to ethical dilemmas when they have access to the organization's:

Accepted Answer

A)   mission and vision.
B)   patient safety plan.
C)   medical staff bylaws.
D)   ethics committee.

Question 19

A Middle Eastern man has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The family has asked the medical and nursing staff to keep this information from the patient because in their culture they are fearful of delivering bad news as it may cause the patient to give up hope. Which ethical principles and dilemmas might be faced by nursing staff? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

The definition of veracity is:

Accepted Answer

A)   being loyal and faithful to commitments and accountable for responsibilities.
B)   the norm of telling the truth and not intentionally deceiving or misleading clients.
C)   a prohibition of disclosure of information.
D)   a right of limited physical or informational inaccessibility.

Exam 6: Legal and Ethical Issues