Chapter 6: Ethics in Public and Community Health Nursing Practice

1. Three nurses disagree over the appropriate treatment for a woman who is an excellent candidate for hospice care. The first nurse believes that deciding on care rather than cure is the woman's decision and no one else can decide for her. The second nurse says that it is the responsibility of the health care team to do good for the woman, and if the physician thinks there is still a possibility of cure, then the nurses should do everything they can to implement the treatment plan. The third nurse states that it isn't fair for the family members to expend all their resources on the woman, who is probably going to die anyway. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from this dispute? (Select all that apply.) a. Ethical principles can conflict with one another. b. The nurses are each using different ethical approaches. c. The first nurse is correct because autonomy demands that the woman decide for herself. d. There is no single accepted approach for resolving such disagreements.

A,B,D

Which of the following is considered the most important goal in nursing today? a. Adapting to technological advances such as electronic medical records b. Demonstrating caring as the basis of nursing practice c. Distinguishing nursing care from medical care d. Seeking evidence-based outcomes to demonstrate nursing's contribution to care

b. Demonstrating caring as the basis of nursing practice

The nurse learns that a family has declined an elective medical intervention for a health care problem because paying for the care would drastically reduce the family's resources and ability to meet the needs of other family members. Ethically, which of the following actions should be taken by the nurse? a. Appreciate that the family has made the decision that it feels is best and take no further action if it is clear the family has made an informed choice. b. Stress that each individual in society has a right to health care and the family will have to create some way to raise funds for the needed treatment. c. Talk to the media to see whether a campaign to raise funds for the family can be created. d. Try to convince the agency to give the care for free, even if it means economic stress for the agency, because the medical need is obvious.

a. Appreciate that the family has made the decision that it feels is best and take no further action if it is clear the family has made an informed choice.

Which of the following is generally considered to be nursing's first code of ethics? a. Nightingale Pledge b. Code for Professional Nurses c. Code of Ethics for Nurses d. Principles of the Ethical Practice of Public Health

a. Nightingale Pledge

From an ethical standpoint, what is the problem with the belief that everyone should receive his or her fair share, that life should always be fair, and that everyone should make his or her own decisions? a. With this belief, the needs of society as a whole are ignored. b. Insufficient resources exist to give everyone a fair share. c. This belief leads to a propensity for some people to like to be taken care of. d. Some people think they deserve more than others.

a. With this belief, the needs of society as a whole are ignored.

A new nurse states to a nursing colleague, "But why do I have to be involved in politics? I just want to be the very best clinical nurse I can." Which of the following would be the best response from the nursing colleague? a. "As long as you pay your membership fee to the American Nurses Association, you have participated in the profession's political endeavors." b. "Political action is the way you try to fulfill your ethical responsibilities to clients." c. "You're absolutely right; if you are good clinically, you have fulfilled your obligation." d. "When you've completed your clinical orientation, then you'll have time to be involved in politics."

b. "Political action is the way you try to fulfill your ethical responsibilities to clients."

How can nurses know whether they have been effective in assessing the community and planning and implementing appropriate interventions? a. Ask community leaders for their opinion of the interventions. b. Examine the morbidity and mortality rate of the community. c. Reassess the community to determine whether obvious needs have been met. d. Systematically survey community residents regarding their perception.

b. Examine the morbidity and mortality rate of the community.

With which of the following ethical approaches are Gilligan and Noddings associated? a. Distributive justice approach b. Feminine ethic c. Principlism approach d. Virtue ethics

b. Feminine ethic

How are ethics and public policies similar? a. Both are abstract principles that often differ in actual practice. b. Both are best achieved by persons in high political office who can effect change. c. Both strive for the public good. d. Both use general principles in making decisions.

c. Both strive for the public good.

Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. The father is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, "It is a wife's responsibility to care for an ill husband." Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse? a. Consequentialism b. Communitarianism c. Deontological ethics d. Principlism

c. Deontological ethics

The staff cannot reach an agreement on what is the right thing to do in relation to a specific patient. Which of the following approaches should the nurse use in personally deciding what is right? a. Do whatever will not get the nurse in trouble with employer. b. Do whatever is supported by an ethical expert, such as the hospital chaplain. c. Do whatever the nurse would recommend to anyone in a similar situation. d. Do whatever the nurse supervisor would feel comfortable reporting to administration.

c. Do whatever the nurse would recommend to anyone in a similar situation.

How can ethics be applied to public health nursing practice? a. Ethics and actual nursing practice are not related. b. Knowing ethics allows nurse to recognize the source of most problems. c. Ethics is constantly involved in nurses' clinical decisions. d. Although ethics is important, political and legal responsibilities are more important in practice.

c. Ethics is constantly involved in nurses' clinical decisions.

Which of the following is the first and most crucial step in a generic ethical decision-making process? a. Assess the context or environment in which the decision must be made. b. Consider the various ethical principles or theories. c. Identify the ethical issues and dilemmas. d. Make a decision and act on it.

c. Identify the ethical issues and dilemmas.

A nurse didn't know what to do when faced with a particular ethical dilemma because an option that would have a good outcome didn't seem possible. The nurse decided to talk to the agency supervisor and decide what action to take. Which of the following best describes the nurse's actions? a. Appropriate, because the supervisor is responsible for the nurse's choices. b. Intelligent, because the supervisor has access to resource persons (clergy, physicians, administrators) who might know of options the nurse hadn't considered. c. Justified, because this provides an opportunity to discuss the issue but the nurse maintains responsibility for the decision. d. Wise, because the supervisor would be more knowledgeable concerning agency priorities and traditional practices.

c. Justified, because this provides an opportunity to discuss the issue but the nurse maintains responsibility for the decision.

A man entered the emergency department bleeding profusely and screaming, "I've got to see a doctor right now! I've got a right to see a doctor! I'm hurt. You have to take care of me!" Which of the following premises would ethically justify such a demand for immediate attention? a. All hospitals receive federal money and all capable employed adults pay taxes, so all adults have a right to what their tax money has purchased. b. Saving an individual's life improves society and upholds tradition. c. Our society believes that all persons should be treated equally and that basic needs, such as not dying if death can be avoided, should be met. d. The man has a property right to his own body, and the government is responsible to ensure that property rights are protected.

c. Our society believes that all persons should be treated equally and that basic needs, such as not dying if death can be avoided, should be met.

Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. One member of the family is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, "But it doesn't have to be an either/or situation. Perhaps each family member could take a turn calling in sick just 2 or 3 days. That way they could all take a turn at helping and yet not upset their employers. Wouldn't that be fair?" Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse? a. Communitarianism b. Deontology c. Principlism d. Utilitarianism

c. Principlism

Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. One member of the family is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, "It's not up to us; it's the family's decision. They know what is best for them." Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse? a. Communitarianism b. Deontology c. Principlism d. Utilitarianism

c. Principlism

A nurse is asked to meet with a family who recently immigrated from Botswana (Africa). After the physician tells the husband the wife's diagnosis of breast cancer, the family thanks the physician and starts to leave. Ethically, which of the following is the nurse's most important action? a. Emphasizing that the family must set up a surgical appointment for the wife immediately b. Assessing the family's current living situation, including insurance and other assets c. Educating the family concerning the usual treatment and the prognosis of breast cancer d. Interviewing the family concerning their perspective of the threat to the family's well-being

d. Interviewing the family concerning their perspective of the threat to the family's well-being

Which of the following would confirm that the nurse's advocacy has been truly successful or effective? a. Audiences agree with the nurse who is serving as advocate. b. Legislators discuss appropriate legislation to better allocate resources. c. People verbalize that the disenfranchised should be better treated. d. Systematic social changes are made to improve quality of life.

d. Systematic social changes are made to improve quality of life.

Which of the following is the dominant issue in ethical debate around an issue such as continuing or withdrawing treatment in acute health care? a. Doing what is best for the community b. Doing what is best for the family c. Obeying legal mandates d. Upholding ethical principles

d. Upholding ethical principles

Some nurses are debating about the appropriate action to take in relation to a particular family. One member of the family is ill, and the other family members have chosen to continue working rather than take time off to care for the ill family member. One nurse states, "The whole family is being affected and will fall apart if they don't focus on their family's needs first before anything else." Which of the following ethical approaches is being used by this nurse? a. Communitarianism b. Deontology c. Principlism d. Utilitarianism

d. Utilitarianism

A health care provider refuses to order pain medication for a drug addict who has been severely injured in a car accident. When reminded by nurses that pain medication has not been ordered, the provider merely replies that the patient's suffering from the pain of his injuries will build character and that the addicted patient needs to get off drugs. Which of the following ethical theories is being using (or misusing)? a. Consequentialism b. Communitarianism c. Deontological ethics d. Virtue ethics

d. Virtue ethics