Deck 2: Ethical and Legal Issues

Question 1

Values clarification can assist the client to clarify his or her own values to facilitate effective decision making.Which of the following nursing activities is incorporated into this intervention?

A) Avoid the use of open-ended questions.
B) Use multiple sessions to cross-examine the client to ensure he or she is clear about personal values.
C) Use appropriate questions to assist the client in reflecting on the situation and what is personally important.
D) Encourage members of the health care team to relate how they would make the decision.

Answer 1

Use appropriate questions to assist the client in reflecting on the situation and what is personally important.

Question 2

When deciding whether to withdraw or withhold treatment, it is important to

A) examine one's own beliefs to guide the family to a correct decision.
B) approach the family with honesty and provide clear information.
C) simply follow the advance directive if available.
D) allow the physician to approach the family.

Answer 2

approach the family with honesty and provide clear information.

Question 3

A client's wife has been informed by the physician that her spouse has a permanent C2-C3 spinal injury, which has resulted in permanent quadriplegia.The wife states that she does not want the physician or nursing staff to tell the client about his injury.The client is awake, alert, and oriented when he asks his nurse to tell him what has happened.Based on which ethical principles does the nurse answer the patient's questions?

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

Answer 3

Autonomy

Question 4

A client's wife has been informed by the physician that her spouse has a permanent C2-C3 spinal injury, which has resulted in permanent quadriplegia.The wife states that she does not want the physician or nursing staff to tell the client about his injury.The client is awake, alert, and oriented when he asks his nurse to tell him what has happened.The nurse has conflicting emotions about how to handle the situation and is experiencing

A) autonomy.
B) moral distress.
C) moral doubt.
D) moral courage.

Question 5

Institutional ethics committees (IECs)review ethical cases that are problematic for the practitioner.Major functions of IECs include

A) consultation with purely binding recommendations.
B) support and education to health care providers.
C) conflict resolution for moral dilemmas.
D) recommendations that are binding in all cases.

Question 6

Place the following steps in ethical decision making in the order in which they should be carried out:
1)Identify the health problem.
2)Implement decisions.
3)Identify the decision maker.
4)Define the ethical issue.
5)Evaluate actions and decisions.
6)Gather additional information.
7)Examine moral and ethical principles.
8)Explore alternative options.

A)1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 3, 2, 5
B)1, 4, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8
C)1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
D)4, 1, 3, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8

Question 7

Which of the following ethical principles is most important when soliciting informed consent from a client?

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

Question 8

The first step of the ethical decision-making process is

A) consulting with an authority.
B) identifying the health problem.
C) delineating the ethical problem from other types of problems.
D) identifying the client as the primary decision maker.

Question 9

Which of the following is/are criteria for defining an ethical dilemma?

A) An awareness of different options
B) An issue in which only one viable option exists
C) The choice of one option compromises the option not chosen
D) An issue that has different options

Question 10

The Code of Ethics for Nursing provides a framework for the nurse in ethical decision making and

A) is usurped by state or federal laws.
B) allows the nurse to focus on the good of society rather than the uniqueness of the client.
C) was recently adopted by the American Nurses Association.
D) provides society with a set of expectations of the profession.

Question 11

Which statement best reflects the concept of allocation of resources within the critical care setting?

A) Limitations of resources force reexamination of goals of critical care for clients.
B) Care is provided equally to all those who need the resources.
C) Equal access is available for those with the same condition or diagnosis.
D) Technologic advances are available to most of those in a given community.

Question 12

In the ethical decision-making process, after the identification of alternative options has been established,

A) an outcome for each action must be predicted.
B) the team must determine which options to present to the patient or family.
C) the choice of one option compromises the option not chosen.
D) "no action" is not an option in this step of the decision-making process.

Question 13

Ethical decisions are best made by

A) following the guidelines of a framework or model.
B) having the client discuss alternatives with the physician or nurse.
C) prioritizing the greatest good for the greatest number of persons.
D) careful consideration by the Ethics Committee after all diagnostic data are reviewed.

Question 14

Critical care nurses can best enhance the principle of autonomy by

A) presenting only the information to prevent relapse in a patient.
B) assisting with only tasks that cannot be done by the patient.
C) providing the patient with all of the information and facts.
D) guiding the patient toward the best choices for care.

Question 15

The difference between ethics and morals is that ethics

A) is more concerned with the "why" of behavior.
B) provides a framework for evaluation of the behavior.
C) is broader in scope than morals.
D) concentrates on the right or wrong behavior based on religion and culture values.

Question 16

Fidelity includes faithfulness and promise-keeping to clients, and it incorporates the added concepts of

A) confidentiality and privacy.
B) truth and reflection.
C) autonomy and paternalism.
D) beneficence and nonmaleficence.