BSN 465 Week 4 Ethical and Legal Domains for Professional
Nursing Questions With Complete Solutions
Autonomy
A person has the freedom of choice, and the right to determine
his or her own actions. Correct Answer A patient refusing
chemotherapy for cancer treatment when there is a high rate of
remission when treated with chemotherapy.
Ethics:
Beneficence-
Conflict example: The health care team caring for an elderly
patient, who is often at high risk for falls and becomes
disoriented in the night, decides that a sitter is needed to stay
with the patient during the night. Although this decision will
keep the patient safe and prevent the patient from falling, the
patient is psychologically distressed because of limitations on
her independence, freedom, privacy, and dignity. Correct
Answer Paternalism example: A patient who has had orthopedic
surgery wants to get up and use the commode instead of using
the bedpan. The health care worker insists that the patient use
the bedpan instead, for the safety and healing of the patient.
Guidelines for Completing Incident Reports
The event must be described objectively.
The report must describe only events that were witnessed.
Make no assumptions. (If you did not see the patient fall out of
the bed then don't assume the patient fell while attempting to get
out of the bed.)
Never document in the chart that an incident report was filed.
,Do not photocopy the incident report for your own personal
records.
Report every occurrence.
Do not assume that others already know about the issue. Correct
Answer Events Requiring an Incident Report
Patient is being harmed, injured, having near misses, or dies
unexpectedly.
Medical equipment is malfunctioning.
Severe/unexpected reactions are observed to therapy or
medication.
The patient's needs are not being met due to inadequate staffing.
Patient or family does not want to accept care or certain
treatments.
Prescriptions are incomplete or ineligible and cannot be given to
the patient.
System-wide issues exist, such as not being able to use certain
medical equipment.
Environmental hazards (i.e., fires) occur.
At the workplace, violence is started by or involves a patient or
family.
Unethical, illegal, or incompetent practice is witnessed at work.
There are unresolved or unfixed hospital maintenance issues,
such as not repairing equipment.
Informed Consent
Informed consent is authorization from the patient to receive
treatment or care. The process of collecting informed consent
involves providing the patient with information about a
treatment or procedure, including benefits, risks, side effects,
costs, and alternatives, with which the patient must sign.
, This is important because patients will sometimes consent to
something that they do not fully understand. Informed consent
forms are also considered valid if the following occur:
The patient recognizes and understands that their consent is
voluntary. Correct Answer The patient is aware that they can
accept or reject alternatives to the treatment or procedure.
A parent provides the consent for a minor to undergo treatment
or a procedure.
Another family member or guardian provides consent if the
patient does not have the mental ability to do so on their own,
such as in cases of low IQ, dementia, or because they are under
the influence of drugs.
Justice
Everyone is entitled to be treated fairly and with equality.
Correct Answer The uninsured patient has the same and equal
rights to health care as the patient who has insurance.
Law
Question 1 of 4
When a nursing contract is described as "at will," which
statement about this is true?
Correct Answer
Exactly!
The nurse has to give 24-hour notice before quitting.
The employer can terminate the nurse without giving a reason.
The nurse agrees not to quit and the employer agrees not to
terminate the nurse.
The contract between the employer and the nurse is oral and
based on mutual agreement. Correct Answer The employer can
terminate the nurse without giving a reason.
Nursing Questions With Complete Solutions
Autonomy
A person has the freedom of choice, and the right to determine
his or her own actions. Correct Answer A patient refusing
chemotherapy for cancer treatment when there is a high rate of
remission when treated with chemotherapy.
Ethics:
Beneficence-
Conflict example: The health care team caring for an elderly
patient, who is often at high risk for falls and becomes
disoriented in the night, decides that a sitter is needed to stay
with the patient during the night. Although this decision will
keep the patient safe and prevent the patient from falling, the
patient is psychologically distressed because of limitations on
her independence, freedom, privacy, and dignity. Correct
Answer Paternalism example: A patient who has had orthopedic
surgery wants to get up and use the commode instead of using
the bedpan. The health care worker insists that the patient use
the bedpan instead, for the safety and healing of the patient.
Guidelines for Completing Incident Reports
The event must be described objectively.
The report must describe only events that were witnessed.
Make no assumptions. (If you did not see the patient fall out of
the bed then don't assume the patient fell while attempting to get
out of the bed.)
Never document in the chart that an incident report was filed.
,Do not photocopy the incident report for your own personal
records.
Report every occurrence.
Do not assume that others already know about the issue. Correct
Answer Events Requiring an Incident Report
Patient is being harmed, injured, having near misses, or dies
unexpectedly.
Medical equipment is malfunctioning.
Severe/unexpected reactions are observed to therapy or
medication.
The patient's needs are not being met due to inadequate staffing.
Patient or family does not want to accept care or certain
treatments.
Prescriptions are incomplete or ineligible and cannot be given to
the patient.
System-wide issues exist, such as not being able to use certain
medical equipment.
Environmental hazards (i.e., fires) occur.
At the workplace, violence is started by or involves a patient or
family.
Unethical, illegal, or incompetent practice is witnessed at work.
There are unresolved or unfixed hospital maintenance issues,
such as not repairing equipment.
Informed Consent
Informed consent is authorization from the patient to receive
treatment or care. The process of collecting informed consent
involves providing the patient with information about a
treatment or procedure, including benefits, risks, side effects,
costs, and alternatives, with which the patient must sign.
, This is important because patients will sometimes consent to
something that they do not fully understand. Informed consent
forms are also considered valid if the following occur:
The patient recognizes and understands that their consent is
voluntary. Correct Answer The patient is aware that they can
accept or reject alternatives to the treatment or procedure.
A parent provides the consent for a minor to undergo treatment
or a procedure.
Another family member or guardian provides consent if the
patient does not have the mental ability to do so on their own,
such as in cases of low IQ, dementia, or because they are under
the influence of drugs.
Justice
Everyone is entitled to be treated fairly and with equality.
Correct Answer The uninsured patient has the same and equal
rights to health care as the patient who has insurance.
Law
Question 1 of 4
When a nursing contract is described as "at will," which
statement about this is true?
Correct Answer
Exactly!
The nurse has to give 24-hour notice before quitting.
The employer can terminate the nurse without giving a reason.
The nurse agrees not to quit and the employer agrees not to
terminate the nurse.
The contract between the employer and the nurse is oral and
based on mutual agreement. Correct Answer The employer can
terminate the nurse without giving a reason.
