Exam 1 NUR2242C
A patient suffered a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident and has no brain activity. The
patient has a living will which states no heroic measures. The family requests that no additional
heroic measures be instituted for their son. The nurse respects this decision in keeping with
which principle?
a. Accountability
b. Autonomy
c. Nonmaleficence
d. Veracity - ANS-Autonomy
Patients and families must be treated in a way that respects their autonomy and their ability to
express their wishes and make informed choices about their treatment.
A male patient suffered a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident and has no brain activity.
The spouse has come up to see the patient every day for the past 2 months. She asks the
nurse, "Do you think when he moves his hands he is responding to my voice?" The nurse feels
bad because she believes the movements are involuntary, and the prognosis is grim for this
patient. She states, "He can hear you, and it appears he did respond to your voice." The nurse
is violating which principle of ethics?
a. Autonomy
b. Veracity
c. Utilitarianism
d. Deontology - ANS-Veracity
Veracity is the principle of telling the truth in a given situation. Autonomy is the principle of
respect for the individual person; this concept states that humans have incalculable worth or
moral dignity. Utilitarianism is an approach that is rooted in the assumption that an action or
practice is right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or to the least
possible balance of bad consequences.
The nurse is faced with an ethical issue. When assessing the ethical issue, which action should
the nurse perform first?
a. Ask, "What is the issue?"
b. Identify all possible alternatives.
c. Select the best option from a list of alternatives.
d. Justify the choice of action or inaction. - ANS-Ask, "What is the issue?"
The first step in the situational assessment procedure is to find out the technical and scientific
facts and assess the human dimension of the situation—the feelings, emotions, attitudes, and
opinions.
,A nursing student is conducting a survey of fellow nursing students. Which ethical concept is the
student following when calculating the risk-to-benefit ratio and concluding that no harmful effects
were associated with a survey?
a. Beneficence
b. Human dignity
c. Justice
d. Human rights - ANS-Beneficence
Beneficence is a term that is defined as promoting goodness, kindness, and charity. In ethical
terms, beneficence means to provide benefit to others by promoting their good. Human dignity
is the inherent worth and uniqueness of a person. Justice involves upholding moral and legal
principles. Human rights are the basic rights of each individual.
A nurse on the unit makes an error in the calculation of the dose of medication for a critically ill
patient. The patient suffered no ill consequences from the administration. The nurse decides not
to report the error or file an incident report. The nurse is violating which principle of ethics?
a. Fidelity
b. Individuality
c. Justice
d. Values clarification - ANS-Fidelity
Fidelity is the principle that requires us to act in ways that are loyal. In the role of a nurse, such
action includes keeping your promises, doing what is expected of you, performing your duties,
and being trustworthy.
An unconscious patient is treated in the emergency department for head trauma. The patient is
unconscious and on life support for 2 weeks prior to making a full recovery. The initial actions of
the medical team are based on which ethical principle?a. Utilitarianism
b. Deontology
c. Autonomy
d. Veracity - ANS-Deontology
Deontology is an approach that is rooted in the assumption that humans are rational and act out
of principles that are consistent and objective and that compel them to do what is right.
Deontologic theory claims that a decision is right only if it conforms to an overriding moral duty
and wrong only if it violates that moral duty.
A drug-addicted nurse switches a patient's morphine injection with normal saline so that the
nurse can use the morphine. The nurse is violating which principles of ethics? (Select all that
apply.)
a. Autonomy
b. Utilitarianism
c. Beneficence
d. Dilemmas
, e. Veracity - ANS--Autonomy
-Utilitarianism
-Beneficence
-Veracity
Beneficence is providing benefit to others by promoting their welfare. In general terms, to be
beneficent is to promote goodness, kindness, and charity. By taking the patient's pain
medication and substituting saline, the nurse did harm, not good, for the patient. Autonomy is
the principle of respect for the individual person; the nurse does not respect someone upon
whom the nurse is inflicting harm. Utilitarianism is the principle that assumes that an action is
right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or to the least possible
balance of bad consequences.
The new nurse correctly defines a law when stating which information?
a. "Law is a fundamental concept for health care professionals."
b. "Law's rule is developed by the employee's organization."
c. "Law's rule is enacted by a government agency that defines what must be done in
a given circumstance."
d. "Law is a mandate from the Joint Commission or other accrediting agency." - ANS-"Law's rule
is enacted by a government agency that defines what must be done in
a given circumstance."
Which of the following is true about health care legislation?
a. The US Constitution addresses health care law specifically to give the federal
government the ability to license professionals and institutions.
b. The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to health care
and reserves most of the power to the states.
c. State laws are considered the highest source of health care law and trump the
federal laws.
d. The federal government asserts its power over health care legislation through the US
Constitution. - ANS-The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to
health care and reserves most of the power to the states.
The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to health care and
reserves most of the power to the states.
Which is an example of the regulatory power to make law?
a. Joint Commission establishing a medication reconciliation standard.
b. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developing recommendations for
childhood immunizations.
c. Institute of Medicine (IOM) defining the approximate number of medication errors
that result in significant patient harm or death.
A patient suffered a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident and has no brain activity. The
patient has a living will which states no heroic measures. The family requests that no additional
heroic measures be instituted for their son. The nurse respects this decision in keeping with
which principle?
a. Accountability
b. Autonomy
c. Nonmaleficence
d. Veracity - ANS-Autonomy
Patients and families must be treated in a way that respects their autonomy and their ability to
express their wishes and make informed choices about their treatment.
A male patient suffered a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident and has no brain activity.
The spouse has come up to see the patient every day for the past 2 months. She asks the
nurse, "Do you think when he moves his hands he is responding to my voice?" The nurse feels
bad because she believes the movements are involuntary, and the prognosis is grim for this
patient. She states, "He can hear you, and it appears he did respond to your voice." The nurse
is violating which principle of ethics?
a. Autonomy
b. Veracity
c. Utilitarianism
d. Deontology - ANS-Veracity
Veracity is the principle of telling the truth in a given situation. Autonomy is the principle of
respect for the individual person; this concept states that humans have incalculable worth or
moral dignity. Utilitarianism is an approach that is rooted in the assumption that an action or
practice is right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or to the least
possible balance of bad consequences.
The nurse is faced with an ethical issue. When assessing the ethical issue, which action should
the nurse perform first?
a. Ask, "What is the issue?"
b. Identify all possible alternatives.
c. Select the best option from a list of alternatives.
d. Justify the choice of action or inaction. - ANS-Ask, "What is the issue?"
The first step in the situational assessment procedure is to find out the technical and scientific
facts and assess the human dimension of the situation—the feelings, emotions, attitudes, and
opinions.
,A nursing student is conducting a survey of fellow nursing students. Which ethical concept is the
student following when calculating the risk-to-benefit ratio and concluding that no harmful effects
were associated with a survey?
a. Beneficence
b. Human dignity
c. Justice
d. Human rights - ANS-Beneficence
Beneficence is a term that is defined as promoting goodness, kindness, and charity. In ethical
terms, beneficence means to provide benefit to others by promoting their good. Human dignity
is the inherent worth and uniqueness of a person. Justice involves upholding moral and legal
principles. Human rights are the basic rights of each individual.
A nurse on the unit makes an error in the calculation of the dose of medication for a critically ill
patient. The patient suffered no ill consequences from the administration. The nurse decides not
to report the error or file an incident report. The nurse is violating which principle of ethics?
a. Fidelity
b. Individuality
c. Justice
d. Values clarification - ANS-Fidelity
Fidelity is the principle that requires us to act in ways that are loyal. In the role of a nurse, such
action includes keeping your promises, doing what is expected of you, performing your duties,
and being trustworthy.
An unconscious patient is treated in the emergency department for head trauma. The patient is
unconscious and on life support for 2 weeks prior to making a full recovery. The initial actions of
the medical team are based on which ethical principle?a. Utilitarianism
b. Deontology
c. Autonomy
d. Veracity - ANS-Deontology
Deontology is an approach that is rooted in the assumption that humans are rational and act out
of principles that are consistent and objective and that compel them to do what is right.
Deontologic theory claims that a decision is right only if it conforms to an overriding moral duty
and wrong only if it violates that moral duty.
A drug-addicted nurse switches a patient's morphine injection with normal saline so that the
nurse can use the morphine. The nurse is violating which principles of ethics? (Select all that
apply.)
a. Autonomy
b. Utilitarianism
c. Beneficence
d. Dilemmas
, e. Veracity - ANS--Autonomy
-Utilitarianism
-Beneficence
-Veracity
Beneficence is providing benefit to others by promoting their welfare. In general terms, to be
beneficent is to promote goodness, kindness, and charity. By taking the patient's pain
medication and substituting saline, the nurse did harm, not good, for the patient. Autonomy is
the principle of respect for the individual person; the nurse does not respect someone upon
whom the nurse is inflicting harm. Utilitarianism is the principle that assumes that an action is
right if it leads to the greatest possible balance of good consequences or to the least possible
balance of bad consequences.
The new nurse correctly defines a law when stating which information?
a. "Law is a fundamental concept for health care professionals."
b. "Law's rule is developed by the employee's organization."
c. "Law's rule is enacted by a government agency that defines what must be done in
a given circumstance."
d. "Law is a mandate from the Joint Commission or other accrediting agency." - ANS-"Law's rule
is enacted by a government agency that defines what must be done in
a given circumstance."
Which of the following is true about health care legislation?
a. The US Constitution addresses health care law specifically to give the federal
government the ability to license professionals and institutions.
b. The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to health care
and reserves most of the power to the states.
c. State laws are considered the highest source of health care law and trump the
federal laws.
d. The federal government asserts its power over health care legislation through the US
Constitution. - ANS-The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to
health care and reserves most of the power to the states.
The power of the US Constitution does not have a direct relationship to health care and
reserves most of the power to the states.
Which is an example of the regulatory power to make law?
a. Joint Commission establishing a medication reconciliation standard.
b. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developing recommendations for
childhood immunizations.
c. Institute of Medicine (IOM) defining the approximate number of medication errors
that result in significant patient harm or death.
