Chapter Six Values, Ethics, and Advocacy

A charge nurse has implemented staff education on nursing values. The nurse would determine that further education is required when which statement(s) are overheard? Select all that apply.

"I can't believe the client is giving that precious baby up for adoption." "The gonorrhea test was positive. That's what the client gets for sleeping around." "If that was my mother, I sure wouldn't agree to a no-code."

The nursing student demonstrates the need for further instruction with which statement concerning moral values?

"Moral values give individuals some sense of what is right and wrong."

A nurse's friend states, "I admire you so much. I would love to be a nurse, but I don't think I have the courage." Which response will the nurse make?

"You can work on being more courageous as you learn to be a nurse."

A nurse demonstrates the professional value known as altruism when caring for clients in a long-term care facility. What nursing action demonstrates this behavior?

A nurse researches the culture of a Muslim client when planning care.

Nurses must maintain the privacy of clients. Which example is a breach in privacy and would pose an ethical problem?

Taking a picture of a client with the nurse's cell phone

The principle of autonomy by a client is applied in which situation?

The client has decided to stop chemotherapy treatments. A nurse shows client advocacy by:

Which is the best definition of ethics?

The formal, systematic study of moral beliefs

A nurse is acting inappropriately and has an odor of alcohol. This behavior breaches the principle of:

ethical conduct.

A nurse is of the Catholic faith and votes pro-life. This nurse is considered to have:

personal values.

A nurse has completed 4 hours of an 8-hour shift on a medical-surgical unit when the nursing supervisor calls. The nursing supervisor directs the nurse to give a report to the other two nurses on the medical-surgical unit and immediately report to the telemetry unit to assist with staff needs on that unit. The nurse informs the supervisor that the nurse has been busy with client assignments and feels this will overwhelm the nurses on the medical-surgical unit. The supervisor informs the nurse that the need is greater on the telemetry unit. This is an example of which type of ethical problem?

Allocation of scarce nursing resources

A client is scheduled to have an elective surgical procedure performed but cannot decide whether to go forward with the procedure or cancel it. The client asks the nurse to help make the decision because the client lacks knowledge about the procedure. Which action by the nurse is the best way for this nurse to advocate for the client?

Allow the client to verbalize feelings, and provide information to help the client assess options.

Which scenario is an example of the laissez-faire approach to value transmission?

Allowing a child to decide not to have an intravenous line inserted

Which example best describes feminist ethics?

An approach critiquing existing patterns of oppression and domination in society

Which ethical principle refers to the obligation to do good?

Beneficence

Which theory of ethics prioritizes the nurse's relationship with clients and the nurse's character in the practice of ethical nursing?

Care-based ethics

Which example most accurately depicts the ethical principle of autonomy?

Describing a surgery to a client before the consent is signed

A client is brought to the emergency department by an adult child, who states, "I am unable to care for my parent anymore. Although I would like to, financially and physically I can't do it anymore." What ethical problem is the adult child experiencing?

Distress

Using the nursing process to make ethical decisions involves following several steps. Which step is the nurse implementing when reflecting on the decision-making process and the role it will play in making future decisions?

Evaluating

A female client is brought to the emergency room with matted hair, bruising, and malnutrition. The nurse suspects physical abuse and neglect. The nurse states, "This happens to many women." Which type of ethical approach is the nurse exhibiting?

Feminist

A nurse reports to the charge nurse that a client medication due at 9 am was omitted. Which principle is the nurse demonstrating?

Integrity

A parent of a 17-year-old high school student is allowing the child to decide which college the child will attend. When the child requests direction from the parent in making this decision, the parent responds by stating, "You will need to make this decision on your own." What type of value transmission is the parent displaying?

Laissez-faire

Which action most clearly demonstrates a nurse's commitment to social justice?

Lobbying for an expansion of healthcare resources and benefits to those in poverty

A nurse working in a critical care unit has experienced personal tragedy, extreme shortage of staff in the work environment, and health issues. The nurse has overcome much of these hardships and is now mentoring other nurses in similar situations. What behavior is this nurse demonstrating?

Moral resilience

A nurse obtains an order for a bed alarm for a confused client. This is an example of which ethical principle?

Paternalism

What is likely to have the greatest influence on an adolescent's formation of values during this developmental stage?

Peers

A nurse believes that abortion is an acceptable option if a pregnancy results from a situation of rape. What is the best description of this belief?

Personal moral

A nurse is providing care to an older adult client who was just diagnosed with cancer. The client together with the immediate family discuss their preferences with the health care providers involved. The health care providers offer their clinical recommendations about possible treatments. Ultimately, the group arrives at a decision. The nurse interprets this decision-making process as reflecting which type?

Shared

A nurse is caring for an older adult who has cancer and is experiencing complications requiring a revision of the plan of care. The nurse sits down with the client and the family and discusses their preferences while sharing the nurse's own judgments based on the nurse's expertise. Which type of healthcare decision making does this represent?

Shared decision making

Which action would cause a charge nurse to have concerns about a nurse's moral agency?

The nurse was seen at a grocery store after calling in sick.

Which is a characteristic of the care-based approach to bioethics?

The promotion of the dignity and respect of clients as people

Nurses who value client advocacy follow what guideline?

They give priority to the good of the individual client rather than to the good of society in general

Which traits are examples of virtues that can exemplify character and conduct as a professional nurse? Select all that apply.

Trustworthiness Humility Compassion

What is the term for the beliefs held by the individual about what matters?

Values

A client tells the nurse that the client does not want to have a painful procedure. By respecting and supporting the client's right to make decisions, the nurse is demonstrating:

advocacy.

To practice ethically, the nurse should avoid:

allowing the nurse's own judgment to guide practice.

A nurse shows client advocacy by:

offering a hospice consultation to a client who is terminally ill.

A school nurse interviewing parents of a child who is doing poorly in school determines that the parents practice a laissez-faire method of discipline. What are examples of this form of value transmission? Select all that apply.

A teenage boy explores religions of friends in hopes of developing his own faith. A teenage girl tries alcohol at a party with her friends.

Which word is best described as protection and support of another's rights?

Advocacy

A nurse volunteers to serve on the hospital ethics committee. Which action should the nurse expect to take as a member of the ethics committee?

Assist in decision making based on the client's best interests.

When providing nursing care to clients, the nurse is required to adhere to ethical values and legal rules to guide practice behavior. Which values would be included? Select all that apply.

Veracity Fidelity Privacy Confidentiality

In the delivery of care, the nurse acts in accordance with nursing standards and the code of ethics and reports a medication error that the nurse has made. The nurse is most clearly demonstrating which professional value?

Integrity

The nurse has an ethical dilemma and is using the ethical decision-making steps to guide to a correct decision. Place in order the steps the nurse uses in this process.

Gather data and assess the situation. Identify the ethical problem. Identify and weigh the alternatives. Implement the decision. Evaluate the decision.

A nurse is providing care to a client and is preparing the client for breakfast. The nurse assists the client out of bed to the chair and then helps the client open the items on the breakfast tray. The client begins to eat breakfast. The nurse tells the client, "I'll be back in about 10 minutes to check on you. In the meantime, here is your call light in case you need me." About 10 minutes later, the nurse returns to check on the client. The nurse is demonstrating which ethical principle?

Fidelity

A nurse is administering evening medications and notices that a medication was omitted during the day shift. Which statement demonstrates the principle of accountability?

Filling out an occurrence report and notifying the healthcare provider