NUR401 Midterm Exam Questions with
Answers
After a car/pedestrian accident, the pedestrian is brought to the ER. The client is alert &
oriented but complains of dyspnea. O2 sat levels vary from 88-90%. O2 is applied at 2 L per nc
with no improvement in SpO2. Radiograph films reveal no obvious injury or fractures. Suddenly
the pt loses consciousness has a respiratory arrest & subsequently dies. During the respiratory
arrest resuscitation it is determined that a nurse failed to open the valve to the O2 tank & the
client had not been receiving O2. What is the key ethical principal involved in this situation?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Fidelity
3. Beneficence
4. Justice - ✔✔Correct answer # 1 - nonmaleficenceis the requirement that health care
providers do no harm to their clients either intentionally or unintentionally. Think of
remember nonmaleficenceis not harm
2 - incorrect - fidelity is the obligation of an individual to be faithful
3 - incorrect - beneficence is doing food for the clients
4 - incorrect - justice is the obligation to be fair to all people.
Which factor is unique to malpractice when comparing negligence and malpractice?
1. The action did not meet standards of care.
2. The inappropriate care is an act of commission.
3. There is harm to the patient as a result of the care
4. There is a contractual relationship between the nurse and patient. - ✔✔Correct answer - 4 -
only malpractice is misconduct performed in professional practice, where there is a
contractual relationship between the patient and nurse, which results in harm to the patient.
1 - incorrect - there is a violation of standards of care with both negligence and malpractice
,2 - incorrect - negligence and malpractice both involve acts of either commission (did do
something) or omission (did not do something).
3 - incorrect - the patient must have sustained injury, damage, or harm with both negligence
and malpractice.
An anxious patient repeatedly uses the call bell to get the nurse to come to the room. Finally
the nurse says to the patient, "If you keep ringing, there will come a time I won't answer your
bell."this is an example of:
1. Slander
2. Assault
3. Battery
4. Libel - ✔✔Correct answer 2 - this is an example of assault. Assault is a verbal attack or
unlawful threat causing a fear of harm. No actual contact is necessary for a threat to be an
assault.
1 - incorrect - slander is a false spoken statement resulting in damage to a person's character or
reputation.
3 - incorrect - battery is the unlawful touching of a person's body without consent.
4 - incorrect - libel is a false printed statement resulting in damage to a person's character or
reputation.
A patient asks the nurse, "what is a Living Will?"the nurse should respond that it is a document
that:
1. Instructs a physician to withhold/withdraw life sustaining procedures if death is near.
2. Enables a person to request medication to end life in a humane and dignified manner.
3. Gives consent to perform life sustaining medical interventions during an emergency
4. Wills ones organs to help others who needs a transplant to sustain life. - ✔✔Correct answer -
1 - a living will provides specific instructions about the care the person does or does not want
to receive, including withholding or withdrawing life sustaining procedures.
,2 - incorrect - euthanasia is the act of painlessly putting to death a person who is suffering
and is against the law in most states.
3 - incorrect - when an individual can not provide written or oral consent (express
consent) during an emergency, care is provided under the concept of implied consent.
4 - incorrect - under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and the National Organ Transplant
Act in the US, individuals 18 years or odlermay donate all or part of their bodies for education,
research, advancement of science, therapy, or transplantation. Consent for organ donation
usually is made via a signed organ donation card.
A patient falls while getting out of bed unassisted. When completing an Incident Report, the
nurse understands that its main purpose is to:
1. Ensure that all parties have an opportunity to document what happened.
2. Help establish who is responsible for the incident
3. Make data available for quality control analysis
4. Document the incident on the patient's chart - ✔✔Corrrectanswer - 3 - incident reports help
identify patterns of risk so that corrective action plans can take place.
1 - incorrect - the nurse who identifies or creates the potential or actual harm completes
the Incident Report. The report identifies the people involved in the incident, describes the
incident, and records the date, time, location, actions taken, and other relevant information.
2 - incorrect - documentation should be as factual as possible and avoid accusations.
Questions of liability are the responsibility of the courts.
4 - incorrect - the report is not part of the patient's medical record, and reference to the report
should not be made in the patient's medical record.
The physician asks the nurse to witness an informed consent. The nurse understands that a
patient who is unable to give informed consent for surgery is a:
1. 16 y.oboy who is married
2. 35 y.owoman who is depressed
3. 50 y.owoman who does not speak english
, 4. 65 y.oman who has received a narcotic for pain. - ✔✔Correct answer - 4 - narcotics depress
the central nervous system including decision making abilities. This person is considered
functionally incompetent.
1 - incorrect - legally individuals younger than 18 y.ocan provide informed consent if they
are married, pregnant, parents, members of the military or emancipated.
2 - incorrect - a depressed person is capable of making health care decisions until proven
to be mentally incompetent
3 - incorrect - this person can provide informed consent after interventions ensure that
the person understands the facts and risks concerning the treatment.
Licensure of Registered Professional Nurses is required primarily to protect:
1. Nurses
2. Patients
3. Common law
4. Healthcare agencies - ✔✔Correct answer is # 2 - licensure indicates that a person has met
minimal standards of competency, thus protecting the public's safety.
1 - incorrect - licensure does not protect the nurse. Licensure grants an individual the legal
rights to practice as a RN.
3 - incorrect - licensure does not protect common law. Common law comprises standards
and rules based on the principles established in prior judicial decisions
4 - incorrect - it is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) that determines if agencies meet minimal standards of healthcare delivery, thus
protecting the public.
A nurse is assigned to 6 clients along with an LPN and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) One
client is scheduled for surgery in 15 min, another is having pain, one is complaining of a sudden
onset of itching after receiving a new medication & another has a family who wants to talk to
the physician immediately. Which action should the nurse take to best manage & delegate
client care?
Answers
After a car/pedestrian accident, the pedestrian is brought to the ER. The client is alert &
oriented but complains of dyspnea. O2 sat levels vary from 88-90%. O2 is applied at 2 L per nc
with no improvement in SpO2. Radiograph films reveal no obvious injury or fractures. Suddenly
the pt loses consciousness has a respiratory arrest & subsequently dies. During the respiratory
arrest resuscitation it is determined that a nurse failed to open the valve to the O2 tank & the
client had not been receiving O2. What is the key ethical principal involved in this situation?
1. Nonmaleficence
2. Fidelity
3. Beneficence
4. Justice - ✔✔Correct answer # 1 - nonmaleficenceis the requirement that health care
providers do no harm to their clients either intentionally or unintentionally. Think of
remember nonmaleficenceis not harm
2 - incorrect - fidelity is the obligation of an individual to be faithful
3 - incorrect - beneficence is doing food for the clients
4 - incorrect - justice is the obligation to be fair to all people.
Which factor is unique to malpractice when comparing negligence and malpractice?
1. The action did not meet standards of care.
2. The inappropriate care is an act of commission.
3. There is harm to the patient as a result of the care
4. There is a contractual relationship between the nurse and patient. - ✔✔Correct answer - 4 -
only malpractice is misconduct performed in professional practice, where there is a
contractual relationship between the patient and nurse, which results in harm to the patient.
1 - incorrect - there is a violation of standards of care with both negligence and malpractice
,2 - incorrect - negligence and malpractice both involve acts of either commission (did do
something) or omission (did not do something).
3 - incorrect - the patient must have sustained injury, damage, or harm with both negligence
and malpractice.
An anxious patient repeatedly uses the call bell to get the nurse to come to the room. Finally
the nurse says to the patient, "If you keep ringing, there will come a time I won't answer your
bell."this is an example of:
1. Slander
2. Assault
3. Battery
4. Libel - ✔✔Correct answer 2 - this is an example of assault. Assault is a verbal attack or
unlawful threat causing a fear of harm. No actual contact is necessary for a threat to be an
assault.
1 - incorrect - slander is a false spoken statement resulting in damage to a person's character or
reputation.
3 - incorrect - battery is the unlawful touching of a person's body without consent.
4 - incorrect - libel is a false printed statement resulting in damage to a person's character or
reputation.
A patient asks the nurse, "what is a Living Will?"the nurse should respond that it is a document
that:
1. Instructs a physician to withhold/withdraw life sustaining procedures if death is near.
2. Enables a person to request medication to end life in a humane and dignified manner.
3. Gives consent to perform life sustaining medical interventions during an emergency
4. Wills ones organs to help others who needs a transplant to sustain life. - ✔✔Correct answer -
1 - a living will provides specific instructions about the care the person does or does not want
to receive, including withholding or withdrawing life sustaining procedures.
,2 - incorrect - euthanasia is the act of painlessly putting to death a person who is suffering
and is against the law in most states.
3 - incorrect - when an individual can not provide written or oral consent (express
consent) during an emergency, care is provided under the concept of implied consent.
4 - incorrect - under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act and the National Organ Transplant
Act in the US, individuals 18 years or odlermay donate all or part of their bodies for education,
research, advancement of science, therapy, or transplantation. Consent for organ donation
usually is made via a signed organ donation card.
A patient falls while getting out of bed unassisted. When completing an Incident Report, the
nurse understands that its main purpose is to:
1. Ensure that all parties have an opportunity to document what happened.
2. Help establish who is responsible for the incident
3. Make data available for quality control analysis
4. Document the incident on the patient's chart - ✔✔Corrrectanswer - 3 - incident reports help
identify patterns of risk so that corrective action plans can take place.
1 - incorrect - the nurse who identifies or creates the potential or actual harm completes
the Incident Report. The report identifies the people involved in the incident, describes the
incident, and records the date, time, location, actions taken, and other relevant information.
2 - incorrect - documentation should be as factual as possible and avoid accusations.
Questions of liability are the responsibility of the courts.
4 - incorrect - the report is not part of the patient's medical record, and reference to the report
should not be made in the patient's medical record.
The physician asks the nurse to witness an informed consent. The nurse understands that a
patient who is unable to give informed consent for surgery is a:
1. 16 y.oboy who is married
2. 35 y.owoman who is depressed
3. 50 y.owoman who does not speak english
, 4. 65 y.oman who has received a narcotic for pain. - ✔✔Correct answer - 4 - narcotics depress
the central nervous system including decision making abilities. This person is considered
functionally incompetent.
1 - incorrect - legally individuals younger than 18 y.ocan provide informed consent if they
are married, pregnant, parents, members of the military or emancipated.
2 - incorrect - a depressed person is capable of making health care decisions until proven
to be mentally incompetent
3 - incorrect - this person can provide informed consent after interventions ensure that
the person understands the facts and risks concerning the treatment.
Licensure of Registered Professional Nurses is required primarily to protect:
1. Nurses
2. Patients
3. Common law
4. Healthcare agencies - ✔✔Correct answer is # 2 - licensure indicates that a person has met
minimal standards of competency, thus protecting the public's safety.
1 - incorrect - licensure does not protect the nurse. Licensure grants an individual the legal
rights to practice as a RN.
3 - incorrect - licensure does not protect common law. Common law comprises standards
and rules based on the principles established in prior judicial decisions
4 - incorrect - it is the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) that determines if agencies meet minimal standards of healthcare delivery, thus
protecting the public.
A nurse is assigned to 6 clients along with an LPN and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) One
client is scheduled for surgery in 15 min, another is having pain, one is complaining of a sudden
onset of itching after receiving a new medication & another has a family who wants to talk to
the physician immediately. Which action should the nurse take to best manage & delegate
client care?
