Chapter 11: Ethical and Legal Considerations

Chapter 11: Ethical and Legal Considerations

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. Nurses are consistently considered to be honest and ethical professionals by most respondents in an annual Gallup poll. This is because professional nurses understand that ethics are:

a.	internal values developed outside the influence of societal norms.
b.	influenced by family, friends, and socioeconomics, among other variables.
c.	societal in nature and do not involve personal influences.
d.	totally independent from a person’s character.

 

 

ANS:  B

Family, friends, beliefs, education, culture, and socioeconomic status influence the development of ethical behavior. The study of ethics considers the standards of moral conduct in a society. Personal ethics are influenced by values, societal norms, and practices. Behaviors that are judged as ethical or unethical, right or wrong, reflect a person’s character.

 

DIF:    Remembering                                 REF:   p. 144             OBJ:   11.1

TOP:   Assessment    MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity

NOT:  Concepts: Ethics

 

2. The nurse is providing patient care and pays special attention to meeting the needs of the patient while maintaining the patient’s right to privacy, confidentiality, autonomy, and dignity. This nurse is applying what ethical theory?

a.	Deontology
b.	Utilitarianism
c.	Autonomy
d.	Accountability

 

 

ANS:  A

Deontology is an ethical theory that stresses the rightness or wrongness of individual behaviors, duties, and obligations without concern for the consequences of specific actions. Meeting the needs of patients while maintaining their right to privacy, confidentiality, autonomy, and dignity is consistent with the tenets of deontology. Compared with deontology, utilitarianism is on the opposite end of the ethical theory continuum. Utilitarianism maintains that behaviors are determined to be right or wrong solely on the basis of their consequences. Autonomy, or self-determination, is the freedom to make decisions supported by knowledge and self-confidence. Accountability is the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

 

DIF:    Remembering                                 REF:   pp. 144-145    OBJ:   11.1

TOP:   Assessment    MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity

NOT:  Concepts: Ethics

 

3. The nurse is caring for a patient recently diagnosed with cancer that is being asked to participate in a new chemotherapy trial. How would the nurse respond if working under the ethical principle of utilitarianism?

a.	“The patient should be allowed to decide.”
b.	“As your nurse, I’ll support your right to refuse.”
c.	“You should do this because many could benefit from it.”
d.	“If this is against your beliefs, you should not do it.”

 

 

ANS:  C

Compared with deontology, utilitarianism is on the opposite end of the ethical theory continuum. Utilitarianism maintains that behaviors are determined to be right or wrong solely on the basis of their consequences. Deontology is an ethical theory that stresses the rightness or wrongness of individual behaviors, duties, and obligations without concern for the consequences of specific actions. Meeting the needs of patients while maintaining their right to privacy, confidentiality, autonomy, and dignity is consistent with the tenets of deontology. Autonomy, or self-determination, is the freedom to make decisions supported by knowledge and self-confidence. The remaining responses are examples of either deontology or autonomy.

 

DIF:    Applying        REF:   pp. 144-145    OBJ:   11.1               TOP:   Implementation

MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity      NOT:  Concepts: Ethics

 

4. The nurse realizes that a medication error has been made. The nurse then reports the error and takes responsibility to ensure patient safety despite personal consequences. This nurse has exhibited:

a.	autonomy.
b.	accountability.
c.	justice.
d.	advocacy.

 

 

ANS:  B

Accountability is the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions. Autonomy, or self-determination, is the freedom to make decisions supported by knowledge and self-confidence. Supporting or promoting the interests of others or doing so for a cause greater than oneself defines advocacy. To do justice is to act fairly and equitably.

 

DIF:    Remembering                                 REF:   pp. 145-146    OBJ:   11.2

TOP:   Assessment    MSC:  NCLEX Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity

NOT:   Concepts: Ethics