Evolve - Ethics

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? 1. Treat all clients equitably and fairly. 2. Act in ways to prevent harm to clients. 3. Tell the client the truth about their health. 4. Help the clients to make informed choices.

2. Act in ways to prevent harm to clients. Nonmaleficence means to act in ways that prevent client harm or even the risk of harm. Telling the truth to clients about their health refers to veracity. Helping clients make informed choices promotes autonomy. Justice involves treating all clients equitably and fairly.

A nurse working in a Catholic hospital discourages clients from using contraceptives per hospital policy. Which category of ethics is the nurse following? 1. Societal ethics 2. Research ethics 3. Professional ethics 4. Organizational ethics

4. Organizational ethics Organizational ethics help ensure smooth ethical operation of an organization. These ethical codes include sets of rules and regulations to guide the actions and behavior of the members of the organization. Societal ethics are norms that serve a large community and involve legal and regulatory mechanisms. Research ethics are applicable to those conducting research involving human and animal subjects. Professional ethics involve a set of ethical standards and expectations for members of that profession, but unlike organizational ethics, they may apply to many different companies.

Which ethical principle is violated when the nurse forgets to give a painkiller to a client as promised? 1. Justice 2. Fidelity 3. Veracity 4. Nonmaleficence

2. Fidelity Fidelity involves being loyal by keeping promises, doing what is expected, performing duties, and being trustworthy. Justice refers to fair treatment and fair distribution of resources. Veracity involves being truthful to the client. Nonmaleficence refers to acting in ways that prevent harm or risk of it.

The nurse as a leader explains ethical principles to the student nurse. Which example does the leader give for autonomy? 1. Informing the client about the details of a surgery 2. Keeping the result of a client's AIDS test confidential 3. Coming back within the time frame promised to the client 4. Accepting the client's wish to donate his/her organs after death

4. Accepting the client's wish to donate his/her organs after death Autonomy addresses personal freedom and self-determination. Therefore accepting the client's wish to donate his/her organs after death is considered to be respecting his/her autonomy. Informing clients about details of a surgery is providing informed consent. Maintaining secrecy about AIDS test results is respecting client confidentiality. Fidelity involves keeping promises or commitments, such as returning within the time frame promised to the client.

The nurse is teaching a client self-management care in preventing and spreading methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Which statements made by the client indicate the need for further learning? Select all that apply. 1. "I can share athletic equipment." 2. "I can participate in contact sports." 3. "I should sit on upholstered furniture." 4. "I should use antibacterial soaps for bathing." 5. "I should wash all infected skin areas before covering those areas."

1. "I can share athletic equipment." 2. "I can participate in contact sports." 3. "I should sit on upholstered furniture." MRSA infection is most commonly seen in hospitalized clients but is also now prevalent outside the hospital setting. The client who has MRSA should not share any athletic equipment with other people, as there may be a chance of spreading the infection. The client with MRSA should not participate in contact sports, as the infection may spread from one person to another. The infected client should not sit on upholstered furniture, as the wound may drain into the fabric, which could spread the disease. The client should use antibacterial soaps for bathing to prevent MRSA infection. It is necessary to wash all infected areas before covering those areas.

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. 1. Justice 2. Fidelity 3. Veracity 4. Autonomy 5. Beneficence

1. Justice 2. Fidelity 3. Veracity 4. Autonomy The nurse follows the principle of veracity by telling the truth to the client regarding his or her health status. Telling the truth helps the client in decision-making, which is in accordance with the principle of autonomy. Justice is an ethical principle that involves treating a client fairly without discrimination. Fidelity involves being loyal to the client. Beneficence involves acting in a way that causes the least harm to the client, and this principle does not apply because the team is not providing any care or making any health care decisions at this point.

What can be inferred when a professional is said to have ethical sensitivity? 1. The professional has the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas. 2. The professional has the ability to take a morally correct action. 3. The professional has the ability to justify a well-reasoned action. 4. The professional has the ability to think critically to rank ethical obligations.

1. The professional has the ability to recognize ethical dilemmas. Ethical sensitivity helps to recognize if there is an ethical dilemma or issue. Ethical decision-making helps to take morally correct action through reasoning and justification. The ability to think critically to rank ethical obligations is called ethical reflection and analysis.

A client who had a bone infection is hospitalized for surgical repair of a fracture. The client has developed a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. Which medication does the nurse anticipate to be prescribed by the primary healthcare provider? 1. Acyclovir 2. Linezolid 3. Doxycycline 4. Ciprofloxacin

2. Linezolid MRSA infection is commonly seen in hospitalized clients. Clients who are infected with MRSA require drug therapy. Linezoid is a drug used in the treatment of MRSA infection. Acyclovir is an antiviral drug that is used in the treatment of viral infections. Doxycycline and ciprofloxacin are antibiotic drugs used in the treatment of cutaneous anthrax.

Which ethical principles govern a nurse's behavior when making difficult decisions about a client's care at the point of care? 1. Bioethics 2. Metaethics 3. Clinical ethics 4. Research ethics

3. Clinical ethics Clinical ethics help in decision-making in issues that involve bedside client care and other client-related issues. The principles of bioethics govern ethical issues in biological sciences and technology. Metaethics is a branch of philosophy that deals with fundamental questions about concepts. Research ethics are applicable toward research subjects, whether human or animal.

Which method of drug administration does the nurse state is commonly used in toddlers when the child has poor intravenous (IV) access? 1. Intrathecal 2. Intraarterial 3. Intraosseous 4. Intraperitoneal

3. Intraosseous The intraosseous route is commonly used in toddlers for drug administration in an emergency situation. It is most commonly used in infants and toddlers in whom there is poor access to the intravascular space. Intrathecal administration is often associated with long-term medication administration through surgically implanted catheters. Intraarterial infusions are common in clients who have arterial clots. Chemotherapeutic agents, insulin, and antibiotics are administered via the intraperitoneal route.

Which model of ethics considers broad social issues and involves accountability to the overall institution? 1. Autonomy model 2. Paternalistic model 3. Social justice model 4. Patient-benefit model

3. Social justice model The social justice model considers broad social issues and is accountable to the whole institution. An ethics committee follows the autonomy model to facilitate decision making for a competent client. The paternalistic model is a type of decision-making style in which the nurse manager decides what to do. The patient-benefit model is accountable in substituted judgment (asking the client caregivers what the client requires in this type of situation).

The research nurse is conducting genomic analyses of clients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) to identify new biomarkers for AIDS. Which computational method would the nurse use for these analyses? 1. Nursing informatics 2. Public health informatics 3. Translational bioinformatics 4. Consumer health informatics

3. Translational bioinformatics Translational bioinformatics optimizes the biomedical data and genomic data into predictive health. Therefore the nurse would use translational bioinformatics for a genomic analysis and to identify new biomarkers for AIDS. Nursing informatics helps to use computer and information science to manage client data. It does not help analyze and use genomic data for developing new drugs and screening methods. Public health informatics helps to develop tools for conducting biosurveillance. Consumer health informatics analyzes consumer needs and helps the healthcare provider to provide effective care according to the client's perspective.

The Surgeon General used the data from the 2000 census classification system to identify disparities in mental health care along racial-ethnic lines. What is the secondary use of this data? 1. To provide culturally relevant care to the required ethnic group 2. To identify all racial and ethnic groups in the United States 3. To determine why there are disparities in the United States 4. To determine when and how the health care needs of the ethnic populations are being met

4. To determine when and how the health care needs of the ethnic populations are being met The census classification system categorized individuals according to racial and ethnic descriptions. In addition to identifying health disparities, recording these classifications helps to determine when and how the health care needs of ethnic populations are being met. Nurses should practice culturally relevant nursing in order to meet the needs of culturally diverse clients of a specific ethnic group; the census has nothing to do with this. Because each racial group contains multiple ethnic cultures, the census does not succeed in identifying all of them in the United States, and it doesn't include them all as options. Although the census helps identify health disparities, it does not attempt to examine and determine why they exist.

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? 1 The team should interview the family members of the client. 2 The team should initiate negotiations for the appropriate course of action. 3 The team should assess whether the client is satisfied with the course of action taken. Correct4 The team should determine all the possible courses of action based on available information.

When resolving an ethical dilemma, the healthcare team should determine all possible courses of action after agreeing to a statement of the problem. At this stage the members of the team weigh all the possible options to address the situation. The team should interview the family members of the client to gather relevant information related to the situation. However, this step is performed immediately after deciding that the problem is an ethical dilemma. The team members may negotiate a plan after determining all the possible courses of action to address the ethical issue. After resolving an ethical dilemma, the last step is to evaluate the action and the level of success. The team members may assess whether the client is satisfied with the course of action taken, at this stage.