NUR 118 2026
NUR 118 – Nursing Ethics: Comprehensive 200-
Question Exam on Professional Standards,
Ethical Decision-Making, Patient Advocacy, and
Clinical Practice Review
NUR 118 – Nursing Ethics
Comprehensive Exam: 200 Questions
Professional Standards, Ethical Decision-Making, Patient Advocacy, and Comprehensive Practice
Review
SECTION 1: Foundations of Nursing Ethics and Professional Standards (Questions 1-30)
QUESTION 1:
A nurse is applying the ANA Code of Ethics to guide practice. Which provision states that the nurse's
primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or
population?
A. Provision 1
B. Provision 2
C. Provision 3
D. Provision 4
ANSWER:
B. Provision 2
RATIONALE:
Provision 2 of the ANA Code of Ethics explicitly states that the nurse's primary commitment is to the
patient. Provision 1 addresses respect for human dignity, Provision 3 addresses advocacy and
protection of patient rights, and Provision 4 addresses authority, accountability, and responsibility
for nursing practice .
QUESTION 2:
Which of the following ethical principles is most closely associated with the concept of "do no
harm"?
A. Beneficence
B. Autonomy
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
ANSWER:
C. Nonmaleficence
, NUR 118 2026
RATIONALE:
Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle of avoiding or minimizing harm to patients. Beneficence
involves doing good or promoting good, autonomy respects patient decision-making, and justice
requires fairness in care delivery .
QUESTION 3:
A nurse is caring for a patient who refuses a life-saving blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. The
patient is alert, oriented, and has decision-making capacity. What should the nurse do?
A. Administer the transfusion quietly to save the patient's life
B. Notify the hospital ethics committee immediately
C. Respect the patient's decision and explore alternatives
D. Ask the family to override the patient's refusal
ANSWER:
C. Respect the patient's decision and explore alternatives
RATIONALE:
Respect for patient autonomy is foundational in nursing ethics. A competent adult has the right to
refuse treatment even if it results in death, consistent with informed refusal principles. The nurse
should respect the decision and explore alternatives, such as contacting the ethics committee if
needed for support, but not to override the patient's choice .
QUESTION 4:
Which ethical principle requires that patients receive fair and impartial treatment regardless of their
economic status, race, or ethnicity?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Fidelity
D. Justice
ANSWER:
D. Justice
RATIONALE:
Justice centers around fairness, ensuring that patients receive fair and impartial treatment. This
principle extends to equitable access to healthcare resources regardless of economic status, race, or
ethnicity. Beneficence involves doing good, nonmaleficence involves avoiding harm, and fidelity
involves keeping promises .
QUESTION 5:
A nurse discovers that a colleague is stealing narcotics from the unit. What is the nurse's legal and
ethical obligation?
A. Confront the colleague privately first
B. Ignore it if the colleague promises to stop
, NUR 118 2026
C. Report the suspicion to a supervisor or compliance officer
D. Hide the narcotics to prevent further theft
ANSWER:
C. Report the suspicion to a supervisor or compliance officer
RATIONALE:
The duty to report suspected diversion is mandatory to protect patients, the colleague, and licensure
integrity. Many states require reporting to the Board of Nursing. Confronting the colleague privately
is insufficient and may compromise patient safety; ignoring the issue constitutes complicity .
QUESTION 6:
A nurse is applying Provision 3 of the ANA Code of Ethics. Which of the following actions is
consistent with this provision?
A. Advocating for patient safety and quality care
B. Respecting patient decisions
C. Protecting patient confidentiality
D. All of the above
ANSWER:
D. All of the above
RATIONALE:
Provision 3 of the ANA Code of Ethics addresses the nurse's obligation to promote, advocate for, and
protect the rights, health, and safety of the patient. This includes advocating for safety, respecting
patient decisions, and protecting confidentiality. All listed actions are consistent with Provision 3 .
QUESTION 7:
A nurse is caring for two patients, one with insurance and one uninsured. The nurse spends equal
time and resources on both. This demonstrates which ethical principle?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Fidelity
D. Justice
ANSWER:
D. Justice
RATIONALE:
Justice requires fair distribution of resources regardless of social or economic status. Equal care for
insured and uninsured patients exemplifies distributive justice. Beneficence involves doing good,
nonmaleficence involves avoiding harm, and fidelity involves keeping promises .
, NUR 118 2026
QUESTION 8:
What is the first official year the American Nurses Association (ANA) adopted a Code of Ethics for
Nurses?
A. 1896
B. 1926
C. 1950
D. 1976
ANSWER:
C. 1950
RATIONALE:
The first official nursing code of ethics was adopted by the American Nurses Association in 1950.
Although nursing organizations discussed adopting a code of ethics as early as 1896, the first
"Tentative Code" was adopted as "The Code for Professional Nurses" in 1950 .
QUESTION 9:
A patient with decision-making capacity demands a treatment the nurse believes is futile. Ethically,
the nurse should:
A. Refuse to participate in the treatment
B. Provide full information and honor the patient's choice
C. Secretly reduce the treatment dose
D. Call security to restrain the patient
ANSWER:
B. Provide full information and honor the patient's choice
RATIONALE:
Respect for autonomy requires honoring competent patients' treatment choices even if the nurse
disagrees, provided the treatment is legal and not harmful. The nurse has a duty to provide
complete information about the treatment and its potential outcomes .
QUESTION 10:
Which ethical principle is primarily violated when a nurse discusses a patient's diagnosis in a public
elevator?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Confidentiality
ANSWER:
D. Confidentiality
RATIONALE:
Confidentiality requires protecting private patient information. Discussing protected health
NUR 118 – Nursing Ethics: Comprehensive 200-
Question Exam on Professional Standards,
Ethical Decision-Making, Patient Advocacy, and
Clinical Practice Review
NUR 118 – Nursing Ethics
Comprehensive Exam: 200 Questions
Professional Standards, Ethical Decision-Making, Patient Advocacy, and Comprehensive Practice
Review
SECTION 1: Foundations of Nursing Ethics and Professional Standards (Questions 1-30)
QUESTION 1:
A nurse is applying the ANA Code of Ethics to guide practice. Which provision states that the nurse's
primary commitment is to the patient, whether an individual, family, group, community, or
population?
A. Provision 1
B. Provision 2
C. Provision 3
D. Provision 4
ANSWER:
B. Provision 2
RATIONALE:
Provision 2 of the ANA Code of Ethics explicitly states that the nurse's primary commitment is to the
patient. Provision 1 addresses respect for human dignity, Provision 3 addresses advocacy and
protection of patient rights, and Provision 4 addresses authority, accountability, and responsibility
for nursing practice .
QUESTION 2:
Which of the following ethical principles is most closely associated with the concept of "do no
harm"?
A. Beneficence
B. Autonomy
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Justice
ANSWER:
C. Nonmaleficence
, NUR 118 2026
RATIONALE:
Nonmaleficence is the ethical principle of avoiding or minimizing harm to patients. Beneficence
involves doing good or promoting good, autonomy respects patient decision-making, and justice
requires fairness in care delivery .
QUESTION 3:
A nurse is caring for a patient who refuses a life-saving blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. The
patient is alert, oriented, and has decision-making capacity. What should the nurse do?
A. Administer the transfusion quietly to save the patient's life
B. Notify the hospital ethics committee immediately
C. Respect the patient's decision and explore alternatives
D. Ask the family to override the patient's refusal
ANSWER:
C. Respect the patient's decision and explore alternatives
RATIONALE:
Respect for patient autonomy is foundational in nursing ethics. A competent adult has the right to
refuse treatment even if it results in death, consistent with informed refusal principles. The nurse
should respect the decision and explore alternatives, such as contacting the ethics committee if
needed for support, but not to override the patient's choice .
QUESTION 4:
Which ethical principle requires that patients receive fair and impartial treatment regardless of their
economic status, race, or ethnicity?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Fidelity
D. Justice
ANSWER:
D. Justice
RATIONALE:
Justice centers around fairness, ensuring that patients receive fair and impartial treatment. This
principle extends to equitable access to healthcare resources regardless of economic status, race, or
ethnicity. Beneficence involves doing good, nonmaleficence involves avoiding harm, and fidelity
involves keeping promises .
QUESTION 5:
A nurse discovers that a colleague is stealing narcotics from the unit. What is the nurse's legal and
ethical obligation?
A. Confront the colleague privately first
B. Ignore it if the colleague promises to stop
, NUR 118 2026
C. Report the suspicion to a supervisor or compliance officer
D. Hide the narcotics to prevent further theft
ANSWER:
C. Report the suspicion to a supervisor or compliance officer
RATIONALE:
The duty to report suspected diversion is mandatory to protect patients, the colleague, and licensure
integrity. Many states require reporting to the Board of Nursing. Confronting the colleague privately
is insufficient and may compromise patient safety; ignoring the issue constitutes complicity .
QUESTION 6:
A nurse is applying Provision 3 of the ANA Code of Ethics. Which of the following actions is
consistent with this provision?
A. Advocating for patient safety and quality care
B. Respecting patient decisions
C. Protecting patient confidentiality
D. All of the above
ANSWER:
D. All of the above
RATIONALE:
Provision 3 of the ANA Code of Ethics addresses the nurse's obligation to promote, advocate for, and
protect the rights, health, and safety of the patient. This includes advocating for safety, respecting
patient decisions, and protecting confidentiality. All listed actions are consistent with Provision 3 .
QUESTION 7:
A nurse is caring for two patients, one with insurance and one uninsured. The nurse spends equal
time and resources on both. This demonstrates which ethical principle?
A. Beneficence
B. Nonmaleficence
C. Fidelity
D. Justice
ANSWER:
D. Justice
RATIONALE:
Justice requires fair distribution of resources regardless of social or economic status. Equal care for
insured and uninsured patients exemplifies distributive justice. Beneficence involves doing good,
nonmaleficence involves avoiding harm, and fidelity involves keeping promises .
, NUR 118 2026
QUESTION 8:
What is the first official year the American Nurses Association (ANA) adopted a Code of Ethics for
Nurses?
A. 1896
B. 1926
C. 1950
D. 1976
ANSWER:
C. 1950
RATIONALE:
The first official nursing code of ethics was adopted by the American Nurses Association in 1950.
Although nursing organizations discussed adopting a code of ethics as early as 1896, the first
"Tentative Code" was adopted as "The Code for Professional Nurses" in 1950 .
QUESTION 9:
A patient with decision-making capacity demands a treatment the nurse believes is futile. Ethically,
the nurse should:
A. Refuse to participate in the treatment
B. Provide full information and honor the patient's choice
C. Secretly reduce the treatment dose
D. Call security to restrain the patient
ANSWER:
B. Provide full information and honor the patient's choice
RATIONALE:
Respect for autonomy requires honoring competent patients' treatment choices even if the nurse
disagrees, provided the treatment is legal and not harmful. The nurse has a duty to provide
complete information about the treatment and its potential outcomes .
QUESTION 10:
Which ethical principle is primarily violated when a nurse discusses a patient's diagnosis in a public
elevator?
A. Beneficence
B. Justice
C. Nonmaleficence
D. Confidentiality
ANSWER:
D. Confidentiality
RATIONALE:
Confidentiality requires protecting private patient information. Discussing protected health
