Foundations of Adult Health Nursing – Chapter 2: Legal and
Ethical Aspects of Nursing | 2025/2026 Latest Exam Prep |
Verified Questions & Correct Answers | Graded A+
This 2025/2026 updated exam prep covers Chapter 2: Legal and Ethical Aspects of Nursing
from Foundations of Adult Health Nursing. It provides verified questions with 100% correct
answers to reinforce understanding of legal standards, ethical principles, and professional
responsibilities that guide nursing practice. This resource ensures candidates are well-prepared
for real-world application and exam success.
Exam Coverage Includes:
✔ Legal foundations: Nurse Practice Acts, scope of practice, and standards of care
✔ Types of law affecting nursing: tort, criminal, and civil law
✔ Common legal issues: negligence, malpractice, and informed consent
✔ Ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, fidelity
✔ ANA Code of Ethics and its application in practice
✔ Patient rights: confidentiality, HIPAA, and advance directives
✔ Ethical dilemmas and decision-making frameworks
✔ Professional accountability: licensure, delegation, and documentation
Answer Format
Correct answers are shown in bold green, each supported with a rationale to explain why it is
correct and how it applies to legal and ethical nursing practice. This ensures comprehension and
exam readiness.
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nurse Practice Act in each state?
a) Regulate hospital policies
b) Define the scope of nursing practice
c) Set nurse salaries
d) Establish nursing schools
b) Define the scope of nursing practice
Rationale: The Nurse Practice Act outlines the legal scope of practice for nurses, ensuring safe
and competent care (ANA, 2025).
2. Which ethical principle emphasizes doing no harm to patients?
a) Autonomy
b) Nonmaleficence
c) Justice
d) Veracity
b) Nonmaleficence
, Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires nurses to avoid causing harm, a core principle in the ANA
Code of Ethics.
3. What is a common example of a tort in nursing practice?
a) Obtaining informed consent
b) Negligence causing patient injury
c) Documenting patient care
d) Advocating for patient rights
b) Negligence causing patient injury
Rationale: Negligence, a civil tort, occurs when a nurse fails to meet the standard of care,
resulting in harm.
4. What is required for informed consent to be valid?
a) Patient’s verbal agreement only
b) Explanation of risks, benefits, and alternatives
c) Nurse’s approval of the procedure
d) Family’s consent without patient input
b) Explanation of risks, benefits, and alternatives
Rationale: Informed consent requires full disclosure and patient understanding, ensuring
autonomy (ANA, 2025).
5. Which law protects patient confidentiality in healthcare settings?
a) Affordable Care Act
b) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
c) Nurse Practice Act
d) Patient Self-Determination Act
b) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Rationale: HIPAA (1996) safeguards protected health information, ensuring patient privacy.
6. What is the ANA Code of Ethics primarily used for?
a) Setting nurse salaries
b) Guiding ethical nursing practice
c) Regulating licensure
d) Establishing hospital policies
b) Guiding ethical nursing practice
Rationale: The ANA Code of Ethics provides a framework for ethical decision-making and
professional conduct.
7. What is a nurse’s legal responsibility when delegating tasks?
a) Delegate all tasks to unlicensed personnel
b) Ensure tasks are within the delegatee’s competency
c) Avoid supervision of delegated tasks
d) Delegate tasks beyond the nurse’s scope
b) Ensure tasks are within the delegatee’s competency
Rationale: Nurses must delegate tasks appropriately, ensuring safety and compliance with the
Nurse Practice Act.
Ethical Aspects of Nursing | 2025/2026 Latest Exam Prep |
Verified Questions & Correct Answers | Graded A+
This 2025/2026 updated exam prep covers Chapter 2: Legal and Ethical Aspects of Nursing
from Foundations of Adult Health Nursing. It provides verified questions with 100% correct
answers to reinforce understanding of legal standards, ethical principles, and professional
responsibilities that guide nursing practice. This resource ensures candidates are well-prepared
for real-world application and exam success.
Exam Coverage Includes:
✔ Legal foundations: Nurse Practice Acts, scope of practice, and standards of care
✔ Types of law affecting nursing: tort, criminal, and civil law
✔ Common legal issues: negligence, malpractice, and informed consent
✔ Ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, veracity, fidelity
✔ ANA Code of Ethics and its application in practice
✔ Patient rights: confidentiality, HIPAA, and advance directives
✔ Ethical dilemmas and decision-making frameworks
✔ Professional accountability: licensure, delegation, and documentation
Answer Format
Correct answers are shown in bold green, each supported with a rationale to explain why it is
correct and how it applies to legal and ethical nursing practice. This ensures comprehension and
exam readiness.
1. What is the primary purpose of the Nurse Practice Act in each state?
a) Regulate hospital policies
b) Define the scope of nursing practice
c) Set nurse salaries
d) Establish nursing schools
b) Define the scope of nursing practice
Rationale: The Nurse Practice Act outlines the legal scope of practice for nurses, ensuring safe
and competent care (ANA, 2025).
2. Which ethical principle emphasizes doing no harm to patients?
a) Autonomy
b) Nonmaleficence
c) Justice
d) Veracity
b) Nonmaleficence
, Rationale: Nonmaleficence requires nurses to avoid causing harm, a core principle in the ANA
Code of Ethics.
3. What is a common example of a tort in nursing practice?
a) Obtaining informed consent
b) Negligence causing patient injury
c) Documenting patient care
d) Advocating for patient rights
b) Negligence causing patient injury
Rationale: Negligence, a civil tort, occurs when a nurse fails to meet the standard of care,
resulting in harm.
4. What is required for informed consent to be valid?
a) Patient’s verbal agreement only
b) Explanation of risks, benefits, and alternatives
c) Nurse’s approval of the procedure
d) Family’s consent without patient input
b) Explanation of risks, benefits, and alternatives
Rationale: Informed consent requires full disclosure and patient understanding, ensuring
autonomy (ANA, 2025).
5. Which law protects patient confidentiality in healthcare settings?
a) Affordable Care Act
b) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
c) Nurse Practice Act
d) Patient Self-Determination Act
b) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Rationale: HIPAA (1996) safeguards protected health information, ensuring patient privacy.
6. What is the ANA Code of Ethics primarily used for?
a) Setting nurse salaries
b) Guiding ethical nursing practice
c) Regulating licensure
d) Establishing hospital policies
b) Guiding ethical nursing practice
Rationale: The ANA Code of Ethics provides a framework for ethical decision-making and
professional conduct.
7. What is a nurse’s legal responsibility when delegating tasks?
a) Delegate all tasks to unlicensed personnel
b) Ensure tasks are within the delegatee’s competency
c) Avoid supervision of delegated tasks
d) Delegate tasks beyond the nurse’s scope
b) Ensure tasks are within the delegatee’s competency
Rationale: Nurses must delegate tasks appropriately, ensuring safety and compliance with the
Nurse Practice Act.
