WGU D228 – Healthcare Ethics Exam
Questions With Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales|
2026/2027 Q&A | Instant Download
Pdf.
1. A nurse is caring for a competent adult patient who refuses a
recommended surgical procedure after receiving information
about the risks and benefits. Which ethical principle most directly
supports the patient's decision?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Rationale: Autonomy is the ethical principle recognizing a competent
patient's right to make voluntary, informed decisions about their own
healthcare, including the right to refuse treatment. Beneficence involves
promoting the patient's well-being, nonmaleficence involves avoiding
harm, and justice concerns fairness and equitable treatment.
2. A healthcare provider recommends a treatment because it is
expected to provide significant benefit to the patient. Which
ethical principle is being applied?
,A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Beneficence
Rationale: Beneficence requires healthcare professionals to act for the
patient's benefit and promote well-being. Recommending an
intervention because its expected benefits outweigh its risks reflects
beneficence. Autonomy focuses on self-determination, justice on
fairness, and fidelity on keeping professional commitments.
3. A nurse carefully verifies a medication dose before administration
to reduce the risk of an adverse drug event. Which ethical
principle is most directly demonstrated?
A. Autonomy
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Nonmaleficence means avoiding or preventing harm.
Verifying medication information before administration reduces the
likelihood of preventable injury. This principle is central to safe clinical
practice and requires healthcare professionals to consider potential
harms associated with their actions.
4. A hospital develops a policy requiring patients with similar clinical
needs to have equal access to scarce treatment resources. Which
ethical principle is primarily reflected?
,A. Fidelity
B. Autonomy
C. Justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Justice involves fairness, equity, and appropriate distribution
of healthcare resources and benefits. A policy designed to ensure that
patients with comparable needs receive equitable consideration
demonstrates distributive justice.
5. A patient asks a nurse whether a newly prescribed medication
commonly causes nausea. The nurse provides accurate
information despite knowing the patient may become concerned
about taking the medication. Which ethical principle is
demonstrated?
A. Justice
B. Fidelity
C. Veracity
D. Nonmaleficence
Rationale: Veracity refers to truthfulness and honesty in communication.
Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to provide accurate,
understandable information so patients can make informed decisions.
Withholding relevant information would interfere with informed
decision-making.
, 6. A nurse promises a patient that she will return after completing
another task to discuss the patient's concerns and then returns as
promised. Which ethical principle is demonstrated?
A. Autonomy
B. Fidelity
C. Justice
D. Beneficence
Rationale: Fidelity means keeping promises, honoring commitments,
and maintaining trust within professional relationships. Returning as
promised demonstrates reliability and strengthens the therapeutic
relationship between the nurse and patient.
7. A patient is unconscious and has no immediately available
surrogate decision-maker. The healthcare team provides
emergency treatment necessary to prevent death. Which ethical
concept most directly supports this action?
A. Confidentiality
B. Implied consent
C. Distributive justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Implied consent may apply in emergencies when a patient
cannot provide consent and delaying treatment could result in serious
harm or death. The assumption is that a reasonable person would
generally consent to urgently necessary life-preserving treatment under
such circumstances.
Questions With Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales|
2026/2027 Q&A | Instant Download
Pdf.
1. A nurse is caring for a competent adult patient who refuses a
recommended surgical procedure after receiving information
about the risks and benefits. Which ethical principle most directly
supports the patient's decision?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
Rationale: Autonomy is the ethical principle recognizing a competent
patient's right to make voluntary, informed decisions about their own
healthcare, including the right to refuse treatment. Beneficence involves
promoting the patient's well-being, nonmaleficence involves avoiding
harm, and justice concerns fairness and equitable treatment.
2. A healthcare provider recommends a treatment because it is
expected to provide significant benefit to the patient. Which
ethical principle is being applied?
,A. Autonomy
B. Justice
C. Fidelity
D. Beneficence
Rationale: Beneficence requires healthcare professionals to act for the
patient's benefit and promote well-being. Recommending an
intervention because its expected benefits outweigh its risks reflects
beneficence. Autonomy focuses on self-determination, justice on
fairness, and fidelity on keeping professional commitments.
3. A nurse carefully verifies a medication dose before administration
to reduce the risk of an adverse drug event. Which ethical
principle is most directly demonstrated?
A. Autonomy
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Nonmaleficence means avoiding or preventing harm.
Verifying medication information before administration reduces the
likelihood of preventable injury. This principle is central to safe clinical
practice and requires healthcare professionals to consider potential
harms associated with their actions.
4. A hospital develops a policy requiring patients with similar clinical
needs to have equal access to scarce treatment resources. Which
ethical principle is primarily reflected?
,A. Fidelity
B. Autonomy
C. Justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Justice involves fairness, equity, and appropriate distribution
of healthcare resources and benefits. A policy designed to ensure that
patients with comparable needs receive equitable consideration
demonstrates distributive justice.
5. A patient asks a nurse whether a newly prescribed medication
commonly causes nausea. The nurse provides accurate
information despite knowing the patient may become concerned
about taking the medication. Which ethical principle is
demonstrated?
A. Justice
B. Fidelity
C. Veracity
D. Nonmaleficence
Rationale: Veracity refers to truthfulness and honesty in communication.
Healthcare professionals have an ethical obligation to provide accurate,
understandable information so patients can make informed decisions.
Withholding relevant information would interfere with informed
decision-making.
, 6. A nurse promises a patient that she will return after completing
another task to discuss the patient's concerns and then returns as
promised. Which ethical principle is demonstrated?
A. Autonomy
B. Fidelity
C. Justice
D. Beneficence
Rationale: Fidelity means keeping promises, honoring commitments,
and maintaining trust within professional relationships. Returning as
promised demonstrates reliability and strengthens the therapeutic
relationship between the nurse and patient.
7. A patient is unconscious and has no immediately available
surrogate decision-maker. The healthcare team provides
emergency treatment necessary to prevent death. Which ethical
concept most directly supports this action?
A. Confidentiality
B. Implied consent
C. Distributive justice
D. Veracity
Rationale: Implied consent may apply in emergencies when a patient
cannot provide consent and delaying treatment could result in serious
harm or death. The assumption is that a reasonable person would
generally consent to urgently necessary life-preserving treatment under
such circumstances.
