Foundations of Nursing Chapter 22, Ethics and Values – Flashcards

A group of researchers is performing a study on the quality of life in elderly patients. Which parameters should be included in the study? Select all that apply. 1 Age 2 Occupation 3 Birthplace 4 Ability to live independently 5 Ability to contribute to society in a meaningful way

The American Nurses Association (ANA) code of nursing ethics articulates that the nurse "promotes, advocates for, and strives to protect the health, safety, and rights of the patient." This includes protecting patient privacy. On the basis of this principle, if a nurse participates in a public online social network such as Facebook, could the nurse post images of a patient's x-ray film if all patient identifiers have been deleted? 1 Yes; patient privacy would not be violated as long as the patient identifiers were removed. 2 Yes; respect for autonomy implies that the nurse has the autonomy to decide what constitutes privacy. 3 No; even though patient identifiers are removed, someone could identify the patient based on other comments about the patient's condition and the nurse's place of work. 4 No; the principal of accountability requires the nurse to keep the identifiers on the image.

When caring for a patient, the nurse is distressed over an ethical dilemma and attempts to resolve it. Arrange in order the steps involved in the resolution of an ethical dilemma. 1. Evaluate the action plan. 2. Gather information about the case. 3. Identify the course of action and draw a plan. 4. Clearly verbalize the ethical problem. 5. Distinguish among facts, values, and opinion.

Successful ethical discussion depends on people who have a clear sense of personal values. When a group of people share many of the same values, it may be possible to refer for guidance to philosophical principles of utilitarianism. Which statement describes utilitarianism? 1 The value of something is determined by its usefulness to society. 2 People's values are determined by religious leaders. 3 The decision to perform a liver transplant depends on a measure of the moral life that the patient has led so far. 4 The best way to determine the solution to an ethical dilemma is to refer the case to the attending physician or healthcare provider.

The nurse is explaining to students the difference between nonmaleficence and beneficence. Which information should the nurse include in the explanation to help the students understand the two concepts? Select all that apply. 1 According to the concept of beneficence, all interventions should consider the patient's best interest. 2 According to the concept of beneficence, maximum priority is given to patients by allowing them to make their own healthcare decisions. 3 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the healthcare provider should weigh the risks and benefits of the intervention before delivering it. 4 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the nurse should be loyal and not abandon the patient even when the treatment procedure is complicated. 5 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the nurse should keep promises by following through on actions and interventions.

In a hospital setting, the nurse has arranged an ethics committee meeting with participants from different disciplines to solve an ethical dilemma. Which step of resolving ethical dilemmas is the nurse performing? 1 Gathering all possible relevant information on the case 2 Clarifying one's own values and opinions about the issue 3 Determining whether the situation is an ethical dilemma or not 4 Negotiating the outcome of action for the ethical dilemma

A patient with leukemia tells the nurse, "I don't want my family to know about my condition; please keep it confidential." The nurse promises to keep the information confidential while caring for the patient and keeps her word. Which ethical concept does this nursing action reflect? 1 Fidelity 2 Justice 3 Autonomy 4 Accountability

The nurse is learning about ethics in nursing practice. Which actions should the nurse perform to meet the American Nurses Association (ANA) code of ethics? Select all that apply. 1 Consider the patient as the primary commitment. 2 Strive to protect the health and rights of the patient. 3 Consider personal and professional growth a priority. 4 Contribute to nursing practice and knowledge development. 5 Ignore other healthcare professionals and perform one's own duties.

The nurse may come across many ethical dilemmas. To resolve them, it is important to distinguish ethical problems from other problems. Which are characteristics of an ethical problem? Select all that apply. 1 It cannot be solved solely through literature review. 2 It cannot be easily reasoned with logic. 3 The answer to the problem has profound relevance for patient care. 4 The problem can be solved by critical thinking. 5 The problem involves only hospital management.

A patient is scheduled for surgery. Before the surgery the patient read the consent form and signed it. This is an example of which principle? 1 Justice 2 Autonomy 3 Beneficence 4 Nonmaleficence

The nurse is assessing a patient who has arthralgia. The nurse is preparing a plan for pain management. The nurse monitors the patient's response and revises the plan to reduce the pain. Which statement about the nurse's action is correct? 1 The nurse is showing fidelity. 2 The nurse is advocating for the patient. 3 The nurse is showing responsibility toward patient care. 4 The nurse is following the principle of accountability.

The nurse is caring for a patient with a bacterial infection. After administering an antibiotic, the nurse realizes that the wrong dose was given. The nurse immediately informs the patient and the primary healthcare provider. Which principle of the nursing code of ethics has the nurse followed? 1 Advocacy 2 Accountability 3 Responsibility 4 Confidentiality

Resolving an ethical dilemma involves discussion with the patient, the patient's family, and participants from all healthcare disciplines. Which describes the role of the nurse in the resolution of ethical dilemmas? 1 To articulate a unique point of view, including knowledge based on clinical and psychosocial observations 2 To await new clinical orders from the physician 3 To limit discussions about ethical principals 4 To allow the patient and the physician to resolve the dilemma without regard to personally held values or opinions regarding the ethical issues

Which sources are responsible for the formation of values in an individual? Select all that apply. 1 History books 2 Schools 3 Governments 4 Social institutions 5 Religious traditions

A child's immunization may cause discomfort during administration, but the benefits of protection from disease, both for the individual and society, outweigh the temporary discomforts. Which principle is involved in this situation? 1 Fidelity 2 Beneficence 3 Nonmaleficence 4 Respect for autonomy

Ethical dilemmas often arise over a conflict of opinion. What is the critical first step in negotiating differences of opinion? 1 Consult a professional ethicist to ensure that the steps of the process occur in full. 2 Gather all relevant information regarding the clinical, social, and spiritual aspects of the dilemma. 3 Ensure that the attending physician or health care provider has written an order for an ethics consultation to support the ethics process. 4 List the ethical principles that inform the dilemma so negotiations agree on the language of the discussion.

The nurse learns that building consensus is the best method for a decision-making process. Which are true statements about consensus building? Select all that apply. 1 Unusual points should be considered respectfully while striving for agreement among the participants. 2 The usefulness of an intervention should be of sole consideration. 3 The nature of relationships should be the only guiding principle for the participants in making decisions. 4 The participants should mainly focus on how just and beneficial an intervention is. 5 Respect for opinions and agreement among participants should form the basis of the decision-making process.

A patient is scheduled for a mastectomy. Which interventions are performed out of respect for the patient's autonomy? Select all that apply. 1 Review the surgical procedure. 2 Explain the risks and benefits of the procedure. 3 Withhold information about the possible harmful effects. 4 Ensure that the patient reads the surgery documents and signs the consent form. 5 Ensure that the patient makes full advance payment.

A registered nurse is teaching a student nurse about resolving an ethical conflict. Which statement made by the student nurse indicates the need for further teaching? 1 "I should presume good will on the part of all participants." 2 "I should strictly adhere to the confidentiality principle." 3 "I should reduce the involvement of family in patient care." 4 "I should ensure that all treatment provided is patient-centered."

In most ethical dilemmas in healthcare, the solution to the dilemma requires negotiation among members of the healthcare team. Why is the nurse's point of view valuable? 1 Nurses understand the principle of autonomy in guiding respect for patient's self-worth. 2 Nurses have a scope of practice that encourages their presence during ethical discussions. 3 Nurses develop a relationship to the patient that is unique among all professional healthcare providers. 4 The nurse's code of ethics recommends that the nurse be present at any ethical discussion about patient care.

Which approaches to ethics focus on the importance of relationships in the decision-making process? Select all that apply. 1 Deontology 2 Utilitarianism 3 Feminist ethics 4 Ethics of care 5 Teleology

The nurse is practicing according to the professional nursing code of ethics. Which actions are in accordance with the standards of responsibility? Select all that apply. 1 Protecting the patient's right to privacy 2 Trying to remain competent to practice 3 Being responsible for delegated tasks 4 Being willing to respect professional obligations 5 Supporting the health, safety, and rights of the patients

The nurse is caring for a patient who needs a liver transplant to survive. This patient has been out of work for several months and doesn't have health insurance or enough cash. Which principle is the priority in a discussion about ethics? 1 Accountability, because the nurse is accountable for the well-being of this patient 2 Respect for autonomy, because this patient's autonomy will be violated if the patient does not receive the liver transplant 3 Ethics of care, because the caring thing is to provide this patient the resources for a liver transplant 4 Justice, because the first and greatest question in this situation is how to determine the just distribution of resources

The registered nurse instructs the student nurse to administer an analgesic to a patient who has undergone appendicitis surgery, but the student nurse forgets to administer the drug and finds that the patient is suffering from severe pain. The student nurse reports the mistake to the registered nurse. Which ethical concept does the student nurse adhere to through this action? 1 Fidelity 2 Advocacy 3 Confidentiality 4 Accountability

The nurse is explaining to nursing students the difference between nonmaleficence and beneficence. Which information should the nurse include in the explanation to help the students understand the two concepts? Select all that apply. 1 According to the concept of beneficence, all interventions should be undertaken while considering the best interest of the patient. 2 Beneficence means including patients in decisions about all aspects of care as a way of acknowledging and protecting a patient's independence. 3 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the healthcare professional should weigh the risks and benefits of the intervention before delivering it. 4 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the nurse should be loyal and not abandon the patient even when the treatment procedure is very complicated. 5 According to the concept of nonmaleficence, the healthcare professional must strive to avoid harm to the patient due to any interventions delivered.

Under which ethical principle is the patient's personal health information protected? 1 Advocacy 2 Nonmaleficence 3 Beneficence 4 Confidentiality

A patient is preoccupied with the feeling that she suffers from breast cancer. She asks the nurse to insist that the healthcare provider perform a mastectomy. Following several tests, the nurse finds that the patient has no symptoms of or risk factors for breast cancer. When the healthcare provider refers the patient to a psychologist, the patient refuses to go. Which nursing interventions are appropriate in this situation? Select all that apply. 1 Respect the autonomy of the patient. 2 Ask family members for their opinion. 3 Schedule psychological counseling irrespective of the patient's wishes. 4 Respect the patient's decision and do not schedule counseling. 5 Convince the patient that counseling by the psychologist would be beneficial.

The point of the ethical principal to do no harm is to reassure the public that in all ways the healthcare team not only works to heal patients but agrees to do this in the least painful and harmful way possible. Which principle describes this agreement? 1 Beneficence 2 Accountability 3 Nonmaleficence 4 Respect for autonomy

Arrange the key steps in resolving an ethical dilemma in the correct order. 1. Clarify values. 2. Negotiate a plan. 3. Verbalize the problem. 4. Gather information. 5. Evaluate the plan over time. 6. Ask a question. 7. Identify possible courses of action.

Which statements explain how healthcare reform is an ethical issue? Select all that apply. 1 Access to care is an issue of beneficence, a fundamental principal in healthcare ethics. 2 Reforms promote the principle of beneficence, a hallmark of healthcare ethics. 3 Purchasing healthcare insurance may become an obligation rather than a choice, a potential conflict between autonomy and beneficence. 4 Lack of access to affordable healthcare causes harm, and nonmaleficence is a basic principal of health care ethics. 5 Access to care is an issue of fidelity, a key principal in healthcare ethics.