Question 1 pts
A client with leukemia is being considered for a bone marrow
transplant. The health care team is discussing the risks and
benefits of this treatment and other possible treatments with the
goal of inflicting the least possible harm on the client. Which
principle of health care ethics is the team practicing?
Justice
Fidelity
Autonomy
Co
orrrec
ct! Nonmaleficence
Rationale: Nonmaleficence is the avoidance of hurt or
harm. Remember that in health care ethics, ethical
practice involves not only the will to do good but also the
equal commitment to do no harm. Health care
professionals try to balance the risks and benefits of a
plan of care while striving to do the least possible harm.
Justice refers to fairness and equity and ensuring fair
allocation of resources, such as nursing care for all clients.
Fidelity is the keeping of promises made to clients,
families, and other health care professionals. Autonomy
refers to a person’s independence and represents an
agreement to respect another’s right to determine his or
her course of action.
Test-Taking Strategy: Use knowledge of the subject to
help you with the process of elimination. Think about the
definition of each item in the options. Note the relationship
of the words “least possible harm” in the question and the
definition of nonmaleficence. Review the principles of
health care ethics if you had difficulty with this question.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Nursing Process/Implementation
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
, Question 2 pts
Which action by the nurse represents the ethical principle of
beneficence?
The nurse upholds a client’s decision to refuse chemotherapy for
lung cancer.
The nurse follows a plan of care designed to relieve pain in a
client with cancer.
Co
orrrec
ct!
The nurse administers an immunization to a child even though it
may cause discomfort.
The nurse provides equal amounts of care to all assigned clients
on the basis of illness acuity.
, Rationale: Beneficence is taking action to help others.
Although administration of a child’s immunization might
cause discomfort, the benefits of protection from disease
outweigh the temporary discomfort. Fidelity is keeping
promises made to clients, families, and other health care
professionals. Autonomy is a person’s independence.
Respecting another’s autonomy means that you are
agreeing to respect that person’s right to determine his or
her course of action. Justice refers to fairness and equity,
including fair allocation of resources, such as nursing care
for all clients.
Test-Taking Strategy: Focus on the subject, beneficence.
Recalling that beneficence refers to taking action to help
others will direct you to the correct option. Review the
principles of health care ethics if you had difficulty with this
question.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Nursing Process/Implementation
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
Question 3 pts
The nursing instructor asks a student to name an example of
false imprisonment. Which situation reflects a violation of this
client right?
Performing a procedure without consent
Co
orrrec
ct! Telling the client that he or she may not leave the hospital
Threatening to give a client a medication against his or her will
Observing the provision of care to the client without the client’s
permission
, Rationale: Telling a client that he or she may not leave the
hospital constitutes false imprisonment. Performing a
procedure without consent is an example of battery.
Threatening to give a client a medication against his or her
will is assault. Invasion of privacy takes place with
unreasonable intrusion into an individual’s private affairs.
Observing the provision of care to a client without the
client’s permission is an example of invasion of privacy.
Test-Taking Strategy: Focus on the subject, an example of
false imprisonment. Note the relationship of the subject
and the words in the correct option. If you had difficulty
with this question, review the concept of false
imprisonment.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Teaching and Learning
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
Question 4 pts
A nurse and a nursing assistant enter a client’s room to provide
care and find the client lying on the floor. Which action should the
nurse take first?
Ask the nursing assistant to complete an incident report
Co
orrrec
ct! Check the client s level of consciousness and vital signs
Ask the nursing assistant to assist in getting the client back to
bed
Contact the unit secretary on the intercom and ask that the
client’s health care provider be called
A client with leukemia is being considered for a bone marrow
transplant. The health care team is discussing the risks and
benefits of this treatment and other possible treatments with the
goal of inflicting the least possible harm on the client. Which
principle of health care ethics is the team practicing?
Justice
Fidelity
Autonomy
Co
orrrec
ct! Nonmaleficence
Rationale: Nonmaleficence is the avoidance of hurt or
harm. Remember that in health care ethics, ethical
practice involves not only the will to do good but also the
equal commitment to do no harm. Health care
professionals try to balance the risks and benefits of a
plan of care while striving to do the least possible harm.
Justice refers to fairness and equity and ensuring fair
allocation of resources, such as nursing care for all clients.
Fidelity is the keeping of promises made to clients,
families, and other health care professionals. Autonomy
refers to a person’s independence and represents an
agreement to respect another’s right to determine his or
her course of action.
Test-Taking Strategy: Use knowledge of the subject to
help you with the process of elimination. Think about the
definition of each item in the options. Note the relationship
of the words “least possible harm” in the question and the
definition of nonmaleficence. Review the principles of
health care ethics if you had difficulty with this question.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Nursing Process/Implementation
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
, Question 2 pts
Which action by the nurse represents the ethical principle of
beneficence?
The nurse upholds a client’s decision to refuse chemotherapy for
lung cancer.
The nurse follows a plan of care designed to relieve pain in a
client with cancer.
Co
orrrec
ct!
The nurse administers an immunization to a child even though it
may cause discomfort.
The nurse provides equal amounts of care to all assigned clients
on the basis of illness acuity.
, Rationale: Beneficence is taking action to help others.
Although administration of a child’s immunization might
cause discomfort, the benefits of protection from disease
outweigh the temporary discomfort. Fidelity is keeping
promises made to clients, families, and other health care
professionals. Autonomy is a person’s independence.
Respecting another’s autonomy means that you are
agreeing to respect that person’s right to determine his or
her course of action. Justice refers to fairness and equity,
including fair allocation of resources, such as nursing care
for all clients.
Test-Taking Strategy: Focus on the subject, beneficence.
Recalling that beneficence refers to taking action to help
others will direct you to the correct option. Review the
principles of health care ethics if you had difficulty with this
question.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Nursing Process/Implementation
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
Question 3 pts
The nursing instructor asks a student to name an example of
false imprisonment. Which situation reflects a violation of this
client right?
Performing a procedure without consent
Co
orrrec
ct! Telling the client that he or she may not leave the hospital
Threatening to give a client a medication against his or her will
Observing the provision of care to the client without the client’s
permission
, Rationale: Telling a client that he or she may not leave the
hospital constitutes false imprisonment. Performing a
procedure without consent is an example of battery.
Threatening to give a client a medication against his or her
will is assault. Invasion of privacy takes place with
unreasonable intrusion into an individual’s private affairs.
Observing the provision of care to a client without the
client’s permission is an example of invasion of privacy.
Test-Taking Strategy: Focus on the subject, an example of
false imprisonment. Note the relationship of the subject
and the words in the correct option. If you had difficulty
with this question, review the concept of false
imprisonment.
Cognitive Ability: Applying
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Integrated Process: Teaching and Learning
Content Area: Ethical/Legal
Question 4 pts
A nurse and a nursing assistant enter a client’s room to provide
care and find the client lying on the floor. Which action should the
nurse take first?
Ask the nursing assistant to complete an incident report
Co
orrrec
ct! Check the client s level of consciousness and vital signs
Ask the nursing assistant to assist in getting the client back to
bed
Contact the unit secretary on the intercom and ask that the
client’s health care provider be called
