lOMoAR cPSD| 47061011
Chapter 06: Legal and Ethical Issues
Huber: Leadership & Nursing Care Management, 6th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A staff nurse is facing a dilemma between meeting clinical ethical standards and meeting
organizational goals. The nurse manager understands that the best way to assist staff members in
resolving ethical dilemmas effectively is to focus on:
a. doing the right thing and taking the right action.
b. meeting clinical standards before organizational goals.
c. meeting organizational goals before clinical standards.
d. referring indecisive staff members for additional training.
ANS: A
Although the domain of clinical ethics is the care of clients, the domain of organizational
ethics is a facility’s business-related activities. Together, clinical and organizational ethics
reflect a health care facility’s concern that, whether related to the continuum of care or the
continuum of services related to that care, ethical dilemmas should be resolved based on
values-centered principles that focus on doing the right thing and taking the right action.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Safety and Infection Control
2. One mechanism that ensures autonomy in the nursing profession is the:
a. American Nurses Association (ANA).
b. Department of Health Professionals.
c. Nursing Code of Ethics.
d. Professional Regulatory Board.
ANS: C
American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the
Profession (2010, p. 25) indicates “competence is foundational to autonomy,” with the
profession ensuring nursing competence through professional regulation of nursing practice
via standards and ethical codes of practice, legal regulation of nursing practice via state
licensure requirements and law pertaining to criminal and civil wrongdoing, and self-
regulation in which all nurses retain personal accountability for their own practice (Cooper,
2014).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
, lOMoAR cPSD| 47061011
3. A nurse manager is evaluating the efficiency of a process on the nursing unit. The manager
believes that the unit could be more efficient if one aspect of this process were delegated to
unlicensed personnel. To establish whether the delegation of this duty would be legal, he should
check with the: a. ANA.
b. current federal defense attorney.
c. state nurse practice act.
d. policy and procedure manual of the unit.
ANS: C
Nurse practice acts exist for each state and govern the legal practice of nursing, including
standard of care, delegation, and supervision.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
4. The major responsibility for upholding patient care standards belongs to the:
a. chief executive officer of the facility.
b. nurse manager.
c. on-call physician.
d. staff nurse providing patient care.
ANS: B
Nurse managers carry the major responsibility for developing and upholding the standards of
care for staff nurses.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze (Analysis)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
5. The nursing manager has assumed responsibility for ensuring that tasks within her department
are delegated legally and are performed appropriately. In so doing, she has accepted which of
the following nursing roles? a. Ethical
b. Ombudsman
c. Paralegal
d. Supervisor
ANS: D
Supervision includes monitoring the tasks performed, ensuring that functions are performed in
an appropriate fashion, and ensuring that assigned tasks and functions do not exceed
competency or require a license to perform.
Chapter 06: Legal and Ethical Issues
Huber: Leadership & Nursing Care Management, 6th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A staff nurse is facing a dilemma between meeting clinical ethical standards and meeting
organizational goals. The nurse manager understands that the best way to assist staff members in
resolving ethical dilemmas effectively is to focus on:
a. doing the right thing and taking the right action.
b. meeting clinical standards before organizational goals.
c. meeting organizational goals before clinical standards.
d. referring indecisive staff members for additional training.
ANS: A
Although the domain of clinical ethics is the care of clients, the domain of organizational
ethics is a facility’s business-related activities. Together, clinical and organizational ethics
reflect a health care facility’s concern that, whether related to the continuum of care or the
continuum of services related to that care, ethical dilemmas should be resolved based on
values-centered principles that focus on doing the right thing and taking the right action.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Safety and Infection Control
2. One mechanism that ensures autonomy in the nursing profession is the:
a. American Nurses Association (ANA).
b. Department of Health Professionals.
c. Nursing Code of Ethics.
d. Professional Regulatory Board.
ANS: C
American Nurses Association’s (ANA) Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the
Profession (2010, p. 25) indicates “competence is foundational to autonomy,” with the
profession ensuring nursing competence through professional regulation of nursing practice
via standards and ethical codes of practice, legal regulation of nursing practice via state
licensure requirements and law pertaining to criminal and civil wrongdoing, and self-
regulation in which all nurses retain personal accountability for their own practice (Cooper,
2014).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (Comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
, lOMoAR cPSD| 47061011
3. A nurse manager is evaluating the efficiency of a process on the nursing unit. The manager
believes that the unit could be more efficient if one aspect of this process were delegated to
unlicensed personnel. To establish whether the delegation of this duty would be legal, he should
check with the: a. ANA.
b. current federal defense attorney.
c. state nurse practice act.
d. policy and procedure manual of the unit.
ANS: C
Nurse practice acts exist for each state and govern the legal practice of nursing, including
standard of care, delegation, and supervision.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (Application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
4. The major responsibility for upholding patient care standards belongs to the:
a. chief executive officer of the facility.
b. nurse manager.
c. on-call physician.
d. staff nurse providing patient care.
ANS: B
Nurse managers carry the major responsibility for developing and upholding the standards of
care for staff nurses.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyze (Analysis)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
5. The nursing manager has assumed responsibility for ensuring that tasks within her department
are delegated legally and are performed appropriately. In so doing, she has accepted which of
the following nursing roles? a. Ethical
b. Ombudsman
c. Paralegal
d. Supervisor
ANS: D
Supervision includes monitoring the tasks performed, ensuring that functions are performed in
an appropriate fashion, and ensuring that assigned tasks and functions do not exceed
competency or require a license to perform.
