Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
1. A nurse has been offered a position on an obstetric unit and has learned that the
unit offers therapeutic abortions, a procedure that contradicts the nurse's personal
beliefs. What is the nurse's ethical obligation to these clients?
A. The nurse should adhere to professional standards of practice and offer service
to these clients.
B. The nurse should make the choice to decline this position and pursue a different
nursing role.
C. The nurse should decline to care for the clients considering abortion.
D. The nurse should express alternatives to women considering terminating their
pregnancy. correct answersANS: B
The nurse should make the choice to decline this position and pursue a different nursing role.
Rationale: To avoid facing the ethical dilemma of providing care that contradicts the
nurse's personal beliefs, the nurse should consider working in an area of nursing that would not pose
this dilemma. The nurse should not provide care to the client because it is a conflict of personal values.
The nurse should not deny care to these
clients as this would be a breach in the Code of Ethics for nurses. If the client is not requesting
information for alternatives to abortions, then the nurse should not be
providing this information.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 27
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice KEY: Integrated Process: Caring
BLM: Cognitive Level: Apply NOT: Multiple Choice
2. An 80-year-old client is admitted with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. During
admission the client states, "I have a living will." What implication of this should the nurse recognize?
,A. This document is always honored, regardless of circumstances.
B. This document specifies the client's wishes before hospitalization.
C. This document is binding for the duration of the client's life.
D. This document has been drawn up by the client's family to determine DNR status. correct
answersANS: B
this document specifies the client's wishes before hospitalization.
Rationale: A living will is one type of advance directive. In most situations, living wills are limited to
situations in which the client's medical condition is deemed terminal. The other answers are incorrect
because living wills are not always
honored in every circumstance, they are not binding for the duration of the client's life, and they are not
drawn up by the client's family.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 29
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation BLM: Cognitive
Level: Analyze
NOT: Multiple Choice
3. A nurse has been providing ethical care for many years and is aware of the need
to maintain the ethical principle of nonmaleficence. Which of the following actions
would be considered a violation of this principle?
A. Discussing a DNR order with a terminally ill client
B. Assisting a semi-independent client with ADLs
C. Refusing to administer pain medication as prescribed
D. Providing more care for one client than for another correct answersANS: C
Refusing to administer pain medication as prescribed.
, Rationale: The duty not to inflict as well as prevent and remove harm is termed
nonmaleficence. Discussing a DNR order with a terminally ill client and assisting a
client with ADLs would not be considered contradictions to the nurse's duty of
nonmaleficence. Some clients justifiably require more care than others.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Analyze
NOT: Multiple Choice
4. A nurse has begun creating a client's plan of care shortly after the client's
admission. The nurse knows that it is important that the wording of the chosen
nursing diagnoses falls within the taxonomy of nursing. Which organization is
responsible for developing the taxonomy of a nursing diagnosis?
A. American Nurses Association (ANA)
B. North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA)
C. National League for Nursing (NLN)
D. Joint Commission correct answersANS: B
North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA)
Rationale: NANDA International is the official organization responsible for
developing the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses and formulating nursing diagnoses
acceptable for study. The ANA, NLN, and Joint Commission are not charged with the
task of developing the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 15
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Understand
1. A nurse has been offered a position on an obstetric unit and has learned that the
unit offers therapeutic abortions, a procedure that contradicts the nurse's personal
beliefs. What is the nurse's ethical obligation to these clients?
A. The nurse should adhere to professional standards of practice and offer service
to these clients.
B. The nurse should make the choice to decline this position and pursue a different
nursing role.
C. The nurse should decline to care for the clients considering abortion.
D. The nurse should express alternatives to women considering terminating their
pregnancy. correct answersANS: B
The nurse should make the choice to decline this position and pursue a different nursing role.
Rationale: To avoid facing the ethical dilemma of providing care that contradicts the
nurse's personal beliefs, the nurse should consider working in an area of nursing that would not pose
this dilemma. The nurse should not provide care to the client because it is a conflict of personal values.
The nurse should not deny care to these
clients as this would be a breach in the Code of Ethics for nurses. If the client is not requesting
information for alternatives to abortions, then the nurse should not be
providing this information.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 27
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice KEY: Integrated Process: Caring
BLM: Cognitive Level: Apply NOT: Multiple Choice
2. An 80-year-old client is admitted with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. During
admission the client states, "I have a living will." What implication of this should the nurse recognize?
,A. This document is always honored, regardless of circumstances.
B. This document specifies the client's wishes before hospitalization.
C. This document is binding for the duration of the client's life.
D. This document has been drawn up by the client's family to determine DNR status. correct
answersANS: B
this document specifies the client's wishes before hospitalization.
Rationale: A living will is one type of advance directive. In most situations, living wills are limited to
situations in which the client's medical condition is deemed terminal. The other answers are incorrect
because living wills are not always
honored in every circumstance, they are not binding for the duration of the client's life, and they are not
drawn up by the client's family.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 29
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation BLM: Cognitive
Level: Analyze
NOT: Multiple Choice
3. A nurse has been providing ethical care for many years and is aware of the need
to maintain the ethical principle of nonmaleficence. Which of the following actions
would be considered a violation of this principle?
A. Discussing a DNR order with a terminally ill client
B. Assisting a semi-independent client with ADLs
C. Refusing to administer pain medication as prescribed
D. Providing more care for one client than for another correct answersANS: C
Refusing to administer pain medication as prescribed.
, Rationale: The duty not to inflict as well as prevent and remove harm is termed
nonmaleficence. Discussing a DNR order with a terminally ill client and assisting a
client with ADLs would not be considered contradictions to the nurse's duty of
nonmaleficence. Some clients justifiably require more care than others.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 25
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Analyze
NOT: Multiple Choice
4. A nurse has begun creating a client's plan of care shortly after the client's
admission. The nurse knows that it is important that the wording of the chosen
nursing diagnoses falls within the taxonomy of nursing. Which organization is
responsible for developing the taxonomy of a nursing diagnosis?
A. American Nurses Association (ANA)
B. North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA)
C. National League for Nursing (NLN)
D. Joint Commission correct answersANS: B
North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA)
Rationale: NANDA International is the official organization responsible for
developing the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses and formulating nursing diagnoses
acceptable for study. The ANA, NLN, and Joint Commission are not charged with the
task of developing the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses.
PTS: 1 REF: p. 15
NAT: Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
TOP: Chapter 1: Professional Nursing Practice
KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Understand
