Leadership Roles & Management functions in Nursing
theory & application 10th edition Chapter 4
A nurse has applied for a management position in a new organization. How can the manager best
prevent intrapersonal conflict related to ethical issues in this role?
A. Determine whether nurses in the organization are required to follow a code of ethics
B. Become familiar with the nurse practice act in the jurisdiction where the organization is located
C. Identify a mentor in the organization who maintains high ethical standards
D. Clarify his or her own values and beliefs and compare to those of the organization - correct answerD.
Clarify his or her own values and beliefs and compare to those of the organization
Feedback: The likelihood of intrapersonal conflict resulting from disagreement between a
manager's values and those of the organization is reduced if the manager clarifies his or her
own values and those of the organization. A mentor cannot necessarily help a manager do
this because values are personal. All nurses must follow a code of ethics, so this is not a
variable. Becoming familiar with the nurse practice act is beneficial, but this legislation does
not address ethical issues and values.
A nurse has been asked to stay after a shift and work overtime because three nurses have called in sick.
The nurse is reluctant to work the overtime because of a social commitment. Duty-based reasoning
would dictate that the nurse:
A. contact the three nurses to remind them of their obligations.
B. base the decision on recent precedents in the health-care organization.
C. work overtime because of the responsibility owed to clients.
D. carefully weigh the effect of the decision on workplace relationships. - correct answerC. work
overtime because of the responsibility owed to clients.
Feedback: Duty-based reasoning is an ethical framework stating that some decisions must
be made because there is a duty to do something or to refrain from doing something. In this
case, it could be construed that the nurse has a duty to care for clients that supersedes social
activities. Duty-based reasoning would not prioritize the effect on relationships over the nurse's moral
duty. Precedents would not necessarily indicate what the nurse's duty is. Duty-based reasoning
emphasizes the nurse's own duty, not that of colleagues
, A nurse has recognized that many older adult clients on the unit do not receive enough nutrition
because they are unable to feed themselves independently. What action by a manager would be most
likely to resolve the nurse's moral distress?
A. Providing a reference so the nurse can seek new employment
B. Acknowledging and validating the nurse's observation
C. Hiring more nursing assistants to help feed these clients
D. Arranging to have the clients' diets changed so they are more nutrient-dense - correct answerC.
Hiring more nursing assistants to help feed these clients
Feedback: Moral distress occurs when the individual knows the right thing to do but
organizational constraints make it difficult to take the right course of action. In this case, the
nurse knows what needs to be done (the clients need assistance with feeding) and arranging
for more employees to do this function would remove the organizational constraint.
Validation is of no value if it is not followed up by action. Changing the clients' diets is not
helpful if they cannot be fed the new diet. Helping the nurse seek employment elsewhere
does not benefit the clients and may not relieve the nurse's moral distress
A nurse has repeatedly witnessed a physician being dismissive of clients' reports of pain and anxiety. The
nurse recognizes that the best action would be to address this behavior with the physician, but the
nurse strongly suspects that these concerns would be dismissed. What phenomenon is this nurse
experiencing?
A. Ethical universalism
B. Moral conflict
C. Moral outrage
D. Ethical relativism - correct answerC. Moral outrage
Feedback: Moral outrage occurs when an individual witnesses the immoral act of another
but feels powerless to stop it. Moral uncertainty or moral conflict occurs when an individual
is unsure which moral principles or values apply and may even include uncertainty as to
what the moral problem is. Ethical relativism suggests that individuals make decisions based
only on what seems right or reasonable according to their value system or culture. Ethical
universalism holds that ethical principles are universal and constant and that ethical decision
theory & application 10th edition Chapter 4
A nurse has applied for a management position in a new organization. How can the manager best
prevent intrapersonal conflict related to ethical issues in this role?
A. Determine whether nurses in the organization are required to follow a code of ethics
B. Become familiar with the nurse practice act in the jurisdiction where the organization is located
C. Identify a mentor in the organization who maintains high ethical standards
D. Clarify his or her own values and beliefs and compare to those of the organization - correct answerD.
Clarify his or her own values and beliefs and compare to those of the organization
Feedback: The likelihood of intrapersonal conflict resulting from disagreement between a
manager's values and those of the organization is reduced if the manager clarifies his or her
own values and those of the organization. A mentor cannot necessarily help a manager do
this because values are personal. All nurses must follow a code of ethics, so this is not a
variable. Becoming familiar with the nurse practice act is beneficial, but this legislation does
not address ethical issues and values.
A nurse has been asked to stay after a shift and work overtime because three nurses have called in sick.
The nurse is reluctant to work the overtime because of a social commitment. Duty-based reasoning
would dictate that the nurse:
A. contact the three nurses to remind them of their obligations.
B. base the decision on recent precedents in the health-care organization.
C. work overtime because of the responsibility owed to clients.
D. carefully weigh the effect of the decision on workplace relationships. - correct answerC. work
overtime because of the responsibility owed to clients.
Feedback: Duty-based reasoning is an ethical framework stating that some decisions must
be made because there is a duty to do something or to refrain from doing something. In this
case, it could be construed that the nurse has a duty to care for clients that supersedes social
activities. Duty-based reasoning would not prioritize the effect on relationships over the nurse's moral
duty. Precedents would not necessarily indicate what the nurse's duty is. Duty-based reasoning
emphasizes the nurse's own duty, not that of colleagues
, A nurse has recognized that many older adult clients on the unit do not receive enough nutrition
because they are unable to feed themselves independently. What action by a manager would be most
likely to resolve the nurse's moral distress?
A. Providing a reference so the nurse can seek new employment
B. Acknowledging and validating the nurse's observation
C. Hiring more nursing assistants to help feed these clients
D. Arranging to have the clients' diets changed so they are more nutrient-dense - correct answerC.
Hiring more nursing assistants to help feed these clients
Feedback: Moral distress occurs when the individual knows the right thing to do but
organizational constraints make it difficult to take the right course of action. In this case, the
nurse knows what needs to be done (the clients need assistance with feeding) and arranging
for more employees to do this function would remove the organizational constraint.
Validation is of no value if it is not followed up by action. Changing the clients' diets is not
helpful if they cannot be fed the new diet. Helping the nurse seek employment elsewhere
does not benefit the clients and may not relieve the nurse's moral distress
A nurse has repeatedly witnessed a physician being dismissive of clients' reports of pain and anxiety. The
nurse recognizes that the best action would be to address this behavior with the physician, but the
nurse strongly suspects that these concerns would be dismissed. What phenomenon is this nurse
experiencing?
A. Ethical universalism
B. Moral conflict
C. Moral outrage
D. Ethical relativism - correct answerC. Moral outrage
Feedback: Moral outrage occurs when an individual witnesses the immoral act of another
but feels powerless to stop it. Moral uncertainty or moral conflict occurs when an individual
is unsure which moral principles or values apply and may even include uncertainty as to
what the moral problem is. Ethical relativism suggests that individuals make decisions based
only on what seems right or reasonable according to their value system or culture. Ethical
universalism holds that ethical principles are universal and constant and that ethical decision
