WGU D909 Healthcare Law and Ethics OA
– Western Governors University –
2026/2027 Academic Year – 100 Questions
and Answers Covering Four Core Domains
Question 1
What is the core principle of nonmaleficence in healthcare ethics?
A) The duty to do good and promote the well-being of patients
B) The duty to do no harm
C) The duty to respect patient decisions
D) The duty to be fair in the distribution of benefits and risks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm, based on the principle of
"first, do no harm" (primum non nocere). This principle is central to healthcare ethics
and is distinct from beneficence, which involves actively doing good .
Question 2
Which ethical principle requires healthcare providers to be fair in the distribution of
benefits and risks?
A) Autonomy
B) Beneficence
C) Justice
D) Nonmaleficence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Justice is the obligation to be fair in the distribution of benefits and risks.
Distributive justice requires treatment of all persons equally and fairly, involving fair
allocation of healthcare resources and equal access to care .
Question 3
The doctrine of informed consent is derived primarily from which ethical principle?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Autonomy
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Informed consent respects the patient's right to self-determination and to
make their own healthcare decisions. This is a direct application of the ethical
principle of autonomy, which recognizes the patient's right to make decisions about
their own body and healthcare .
,Question 4
Which ethical theory determines the moral worth of an action solely by its
contribution to overall usefulness?
A) Deontological ethics
B) Utilitarian ethics
C) Ethical relativism
D) Normative ethics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Utilitarian ethics is the concept that the moral worth of an action is
determined solely by its contribution to overall usefulness. This consequentialist
approach evaluates actions based on their outcomes and the balance of good over
evil they produce .
Question 5
What is the primary characteristic of nonconsequential ethics?
A) It emphasizes that consequences are the only criteria for determining morality
B) It denies that consequences are the only criteria for determining the morality of an
action or rule
C) It prioritizes cultural norms over individual rights
D) It focuses on maximizing overall happiness
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nonconsequential ethics denies that the consequences of an action are
the only criteria for determining its morality. The rightness or wrongness of an action
is based on properties intrinsic to the action itself, not on its outcomes.
Deontological ethics is a form of nonconsequential ethics .
Question 6
Which ethical framework is associated with Immanuel Kant and emphasizes doing
the right thing regardless of consequences?
A) Utilitarian ethics
B) Ethical relativism
C) Deontological ethics
D) Virtue ethics
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Deontological ethics, associated with Immanuel Kant, emphasizes that
doing the right thing is good, but it might not always lead to or increase the good
and right thing sought after. It focuses on duties and rules rather than
consequences .
Question 7
What is ethical relativism in the context of healthcare?
A) The belief that all ethical decisions should be based on religious principles
, B) The view that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture
C) The principle that all ethical decisions must be based on legal requirements
D) The theory that consequences are the only measure of morality
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ethical relativism holds that morality is relative to the norms of one's
culture in which one lives. Actions can be considered right or wrong depending on
the accepted norms of the society in which they are practiced .
Question 8
What is the purpose of an ethics framework in healthcare organizations?
A) To replace legal requirements with ethical guidelines
B) To act as a guide in asking the right questions and constructing professional
messages or policies
C) To enforce compliance with regulations
D) To determine financial outcomes
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An ethics framework acts as a guide in asking the right questions and
focusing energy on constructing and propagating a professional message or policy
about a situation. It helps structure ethical analysis and decision-making without
providing simple answers .
Question 9
Which of the following is NOT one of the four principles of healthcare ethics?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Confidentiality
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The four principles of healthcare ethics are beneficence, nonmaleficence,
autonomy, and justice. Confidentiality is an important ethical and legal obligation but
is not considered one of the four foundational principles .
Question 10
A patient has the right to refuse life-saving treatment. This right is based on which
ethical principle?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Autonomy
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The right to refuse treatment is derived from the ethical principle of
– Western Governors University –
2026/2027 Academic Year – 100 Questions
and Answers Covering Four Core Domains
Question 1
What is the core principle of nonmaleficence in healthcare ethics?
A) The duty to do good and promote the well-being of patients
B) The duty to do no harm
C) The duty to respect patient decisions
D) The duty to be fair in the distribution of benefits and risks
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nonmaleficence is the duty to do no harm, based on the principle of
"first, do no harm" (primum non nocere). This principle is central to healthcare ethics
and is distinct from beneficence, which involves actively doing good .
Question 2
Which ethical principle requires healthcare providers to be fair in the distribution of
benefits and risks?
A) Autonomy
B) Beneficence
C) Justice
D) Nonmaleficence
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Justice is the obligation to be fair in the distribution of benefits and risks.
Distributive justice requires treatment of all persons equally and fairly, involving fair
allocation of healthcare resources and equal access to care .
Question 3
The doctrine of informed consent is derived primarily from which ethical principle?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Autonomy
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Informed consent respects the patient's right to self-determination and to
make their own healthcare decisions. This is a direct application of the ethical
principle of autonomy, which recognizes the patient's right to make decisions about
their own body and healthcare .
,Question 4
Which ethical theory determines the moral worth of an action solely by its
contribution to overall usefulness?
A) Deontological ethics
B) Utilitarian ethics
C) Ethical relativism
D) Normative ethics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Utilitarian ethics is the concept that the moral worth of an action is
determined solely by its contribution to overall usefulness. This consequentialist
approach evaluates actions based on their outcomes and the balance of good over
evil they produce .
Question 5
What is the primary characteristic of nonconsequential ethics?
A) It emphasizes that consequences are the only criteria for determining morality
B) It denies that consequences are the only criteria for determining the morality of an
action or rule
C) It prioritizes cultural norms over individual rights
D) It focuses on maximizing overall happiness
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Nonconsequential ethics denies that the consequences of an action are
the only criteria for determining its morality. The rightness or wrongness of an action
is based on properties intrinsic to the action itself, not on its outcomes.
Deontological ethics is a form of nonconsequential ethics .
Question 6
Which ethical framework is associated with Immanuel Kant and emphasizes doing
the right thing regardless of consequences?
A) Utilitarian ethics
B) Ethical relativism
C) Deontological ethics
D) Virtue ethics
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Deontological ethics, associated with Immanuel Kant, emphasizes that
doing the right thing is good, but it might not always lead to or increase the good
and right thing sought after. It focuses on duties and rules rather than
consequences .
Question 7
What is ethical relativism in the context of healthcare?
A) The belief that all ethical decisions should be based on religious principles
, B) The view that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture
C) The principle that all ethical decisions must be based on legal requirements
D) The theory that consequences are the only measure of morality
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Ethical relativism holds that morality is relative to the norms of one's
culture in which one lives. Actions can be considered right or wrong depending on
the accepted norms of the society in which they are practiced .
Question 8
What is the purpose of an ethics framework in healthcare organizations?
A) To replace legal requirements with ethical guidelines
B) To act as a guide in asking the right questions and constructing professional
messages or policies
C) To enforce compliance with regulations
D) To determine financial outcomes
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An ethics framework acts as a guide in asking the right questions and
focusing energy on constructing and propagating a professional message or policy
about a situation. It helps structure ethical analysis and decision-making without
providing simple answers .
Question 9
Which of the following is NOT one of the four principles of healthcare ethics?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Confidentiality
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The four principles of healthcare ethics are beneficence, nonmaleficence,
autonomy, and justice. Confidentiality is an important ethical and legal obligation but
is not considered one of the four foundational principles .
Question 10
A patient has the right to refuse life-saving treatment. This right is based on which
ethical principle?
A) Beneficence
B) Nonmaleficence
C) Autonomy
D) Justice
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The right to refuse treatment is derived from the ethical principle of
