Chapter 7

According to Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning, adolescents who shoplift are operating in which level of moral development?

Preconventional (In Kohlberg's preconventional level of moral reasoning, the individual is inattentive to the norms of society and is self-centered.)

Which of the following situations is an example of moral distress?

You hear nurses in the lounge making off-color jokes about a patient. You are afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation.

Taking a pediatric patient to the playroom on a promised time and day is based on the belief in the ethical principle of

fidelity

. Answering a terminally ill child's questions about his or her condition honestly is based on a belief in the ethical principle of

veracity

Which of the following is the best description of a code of ethics?

A document that permits others to know what principles guide professional decision making

A school nurse teaching school-aged children about water safety is an example of which ethical principle?

Beneficence

According to Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning, individuals who act "because it is the rule of society" are operating in which level of moral development?

Conventional (In the conventional level, moral decisions conform to the norms of society.)

Which of the following are activities in the ethical decision-making process?

Determine if the people who are affected by the dilemma have value conflicts. c. Brainstorm with others involved to identify all possible solutions. d. Evaluate the action taken to determine whether it accomplished its purpose

. A patient who is terminally ill is experiencing great pain. To relieve the patient's suffering, the nurse needs to administer larger doses of morphine. This relieves the pain but also inhibits respiration. Which principle justifies the risk of harm?

Double effect

A nurse is involved in an ethically challenging case. To use an ethical decision-making model, which step should the nurse perform first?

Identify the ethical dilemma in the case

3The current emphasis on eliminating racially based health disparities is based on which of the following ethical principles?

Justice

According to Kohlberg's theory, which of the following is true of moral development?

Participating in decision making promotes moral reasoning. (Kohlberg thought that certain conditions promote moral development, such as participating in decision making)

Flight 93, hijacked on September 11, 2001, crashed into the Pennsylvania countryside because some of the passengers decided to try to take control of the plane and prevent it from being used as a weapon of mass destruction against structures in Washington, D.C. They decided to act despite grave danger to themselves. This is an example of which level of Kohlberg's stages of moral reasoning?

Postconventional (People in the postconventional level of moral reasoning may ignore self-interest and group norms when making decisions and may sacrifice themselves for the group)

Gilligan's theory on moral reasoning differed from Kohlberg's theory because Gilligan considered which population not addressed by Kohlberg?

Women (Gilligan thought that Kohlberg's theory did not recognize the experience of women in moral development.)

Respecting an elderly woman's decision to stay in her own home is based on a belief in the ethical principle of

autonomy

When nurses receive a patient assignment and accept reports on these patients, they are committed to providing care to those assigned to them. This is based on the ethical principle of

fidelity

A nurse who advocates for a longer stay when a medically indigent patient is being prematurely discharged to reduce hospital cost is relying on which ethical principle?

justice

A nurse is turning a bedfast patient to prevent pressure ulcers. The patient complains that the process is painful. The nurse explains the reason for the turning schedule and completes the task. This is an example of the ethical principle of

nonmaleficence

A father of four is admitted after an automobile accident in which two of the children were killed. Recognizing that he is in very serious condition, the nurse believes that it would be appropriate to avoid telling him about the death of his children unless he asks directly. This could be considered a violation of the ethical principle of

veracity