Ethical & Legal EAQ's

A client who is admitted to the hospital and requires a colon resection states, "I want to be a do not resuscitate (DNR)." The nurse questions the client's understanding of a DNR order. Which response by the client best indicates to the nurse an understanding of a DNR order?

"If something happens to me, I do not want CPR."

A registered nurse is educating a nursing student about nursing malpractice. What information should the nurse provide? Select all that apply.

"Nursing malpractice takes place when nursing care falls below the standards of care." "Nursing malpractice may be prevented by developing a caring rapport with the client." "Nursing malpractice may occur even when the nurses do not intend to harm the clients."

What steps should a nurse take when caring for a client to prevent nursing malpractice? Select all that apply.

Be alert about common sources of client injuries. Gain knowledge regarding current nursing practices. Communicate with the client regarding tests and treatment plans.

What is a living will?

It is a written document that directs treatment according to the client's wishes, in case of a terminal illness or condition.

Which situation does not cover nurses who respond to a mass casualty incident (MCI) for malpractice or negligent lawsuits under the Good Samaritan Act?

Terrorist Act

A nurse preparing to apply restraints to a client should understand which of the following principles?

A nurse can be charged with assault and battery for using restrains improperly.

Nurses are held responsible for the commission of a tort. What is the definition of a tort?

An illegality committed by one person against the property or person of another

A nursing student is listing examples of quasi-intentional torts. Which examples mentioned by the nursing student need correction? Select all that apply.

Assault Battery Malpractice

A nursing student is listing examples of unintentional torts. Which examples mentioned by the student are correct? Select all that apply.

Negligence Malpractice

Which statement accurately demonstrates an act of nursing negligence?

A nurse instructs the nursing assistive personnel to administer medication through an intravenous line.

The nurse is having difficulty understanding a client's decision to have hospice care rather than an extensive surgical procedure. Which ethical principle does the client's behavior illustrate?

Autonomy

The nurse is caring for a client who is terminally ill with cancer. The health care team meets and agrees to provide the client with information to help the client make decisions regarding treatment. Which ethical principles are applied in this situation? Select all that apply.

Justice Fidelity Veracity Autonomy

Certain questions are applicable in determining nursing negligence. Select all that apply.

"Was reasonable care provided?" "Was there a breach of nursing duty?" "Was there an act of omission that resulted in harm?" "Except for the nurse's action, would the injury have occurred?"

Arrange the actions in the order a nurse should take to resolve an ethical dilemma.

1.Collect relevant case-related information. 2.Clarify values. 3.Verbalize the problem. 4.Determine possible courses of action. 5.Negotiate a plan. 6.Evaluate the plan over time.

A nursing student is evaluating different scenarios that are examples of following the basic health care principles. Which scenario is an example of following the principle of justice?

A nurse manager encourages the nurses to discuss their mistakes in order to improve the quality of care.

A nursing instructor provides teaching about the ethical principle of nonmaleficence to a group of nursing students. What is appropriate for the nurse to include in the education?

Act in ways to prevent harm to clients.

A registered nurse is educating a nursing student on the various classifications of torts. What acts are classified as intentional torts in nursing practice? Select all that apply.

Battery Assault False Imprisonment

What problems may a nurse come across when dealing with ethical issues related to end-of-life care? Select all that apply.

Clients are unable to communicate effectively. All interventions for helping the clients seem futile. Predictions regarding health outcomes are not always accurate.

Which nursing behavior is an intentional tort?

Divulging private information about a client's health status to the media

When being interviewed for a position as a registered professional nurse, the applicant is asked to identify an example of an intentional tort. What is the appropriate response?

False imprisonment

The unit nurse manager comes to work obviously intoxicated. Which action is the staff nurse ethically obligated to take?

Have the supervisor validate the observation.

While visiting the hospital, the spouse of a client slips and falls on a recently washed floor in the hallway leading to the client's room. To meet the criteria of ethical practice, what action should the nurse who witnessed the occurrence take?

Initiate an agency incident report.

A state's Nurse Practice Act (Canada: Provincial/Territorial Registered Nurse Act) does not allow a registered nurse (RN) to suture wounds. The primary healthcare provider offers to teach the RN how to suture and tells the RN that minor wounds may be sutured without supervision. Which action should the nurse take?

Refuse to suture wounds

A nurse signs as a witness to informed consent provided by the client. What does the signature of the nurse imply? Select all that apply.

That the client's signature is authentic That the client has given consent voluntarily That the client appears to be competent to give consent

A client in need of a lung transplant tells the nurse, "I will not take the organ of any person belonging to a different religion." The nurse initiates the process for resolving the ethical dilemma by collaborating with other healthcare team members. What should the team do after agreeing to a statement of the problem?

The team should determine all the possible courses of action based on available information.

Which interventions are in the scope of a licensed practical nurse (LPN)? Select all that apply.

Ambulating the client Assisting the client with bathing Administering intramuscular medications

A nurse notes that a client with dementia refuses to eat. Instead of informing the primary healthcare provider, the nurse threatens to force-feed the client, and proceeds to apply restraints in order to do so. What legal charges may be brought up against the nurse? Select all that apply.

Assault Malpractice False Imprisonment

A nurse is recalling common terms that are used in health ethics. What does beneficence in health ethics refer to?

Beneficence refers to taking positive actions to help others.

How would the student nurse describe a quasi-intentional tort occurring during the practice of nursing?

It is an act that lacks intent but involves volitional action.

As a part of informed consent, a surgeon explains to the client who is scheduled for surgery the details of the surgery and the related care. The nurse as a leader witnesses the complete procedure. What information does the nurse leader ensure was provided to the client? Select all that apply.

Surgery Procedures Name of Surgeon Description of the Risks

What should a nurse do in order to comply with the ethic of nonmaleficence in the healthcare setting?

The nurse should focus on doing no harm.

Two clients in the same medical facility receive differing levels of care due to the lack of financial resources of the family of one of the clients. The nurse in charge tries to resolve the ethical dilemma at hand. The nurse collects all relevant information regarding the problem from multiple sources. What should be the nurse's next course of action?

Examine own values regarding the issue at hand based on the information obtained.

Which ethical principle is violated when the nurse forgets to give a painkiller to a client as promised?

Fidelity

A nursing student is recalling the definitions of acts that are classified as torts in nursing practice. Which tort involves intentional touching without the client's consent?

Battery

A nursing student is recalling the definition of Nurse Practice Acts. What do the Nurse Practice Acts do?

Nurse Practice Acts describe and define the legal boundaries of nursing practice within each state.

The nurse as a leader explains ethical principles to the student nurse. Which example does the leader give for autonomy?

Accepting the client's wish to donate his/her organs after death

A client requires emergency cardiac surgery. The leader nurse wants to make the client aware of the situation and wants the client to decide what should be done. Which ethical model does the leader nurse follow here?

Autonomy model

How is the term "beneficence" in health ethics different from "nonmaleficence"?

Beneficence involves taking positive actions to help other,s whereas nonmaleficence is the avoidance of harm or hurt.

What information should the registered nurse provide when educating a nursing student about living wills? Select all that apply.

Health care workers should always follow the directions of a client's living will. Clients use living wills to declare any medical procedures they want or do not want when terminally ill. Living wills are written documents that direct the client's treatments in the event of a terminal illness or condition.