Chapter 09: Ethical and Bioethical Issues in Nursing and Health Care Cherry:
Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, and Management, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How is theterm Ethics as applied to nursing best defined?
a. Doing what is best for theclient
b. Making good decisions about care
c. Care based on keeping with thevalues of theclient
d. Rules for providing competent care that is based on scientific principles
ANS: C
Nursing ethics is a system of principles intended to guide theactions of thenurse in his or her
relationships with clients, clients‘ family members, other health care providers,
policymakers, and society as a whole. A nurse must make an attempt to understand what
values are inherent in thesituation.
DIF:Knowledge
2. A family requests that no additional heroic measures be instituted for their terminally ill
mother who has advance directives in place. thenurse respects this decision in keeping with
theprinciple of what client right? a. Accountability
b. Autonomy
c. Nonmaleficence
d. Veracity
ANS: B
Autonomy is theprinciple of respect for theindividual person. Within theconcept of autonomy,
people are free to form their own judgments and perform whatever actions they choose. They
are self-determining agents who are entitled to decide their own destiny.
DIF:Comprehension
3. An older adult client is comatose and had one electroencephalogram that indicated no
activity.
thedaughter is very distraught and notices her mother‘s hand moves when she is talking to
her. thedaughter asks thenurse, ―Is mother responding to my voice?‖ thenurse, attempting
to console thedaughter, knows themovement was involuntary but states, ―It does appear
she did.‖ thenurse is violating which principle of ethics? a. Autonomy
b. Veracity
c. Utilitarianism
d. Deontology
, ANS: B
Veracity is theprinciple of telling thetruth in a given situation.
DIF:Comprehension
4. In attempting to decide which services should be offered to a community, thepublic health
nurse decides to implement hypertension screening and treatment because most of
theresidents are hypertensive. This decision is based on what ethical principle? a. Veracity
b. Values
c. Utilitarianism
d. Autonomy
ANS: C
Utilitarianism is an approach that is rooted in theassumption that an action or practice is
right if it leads to thegreatest possible balance of good consequences or to theleast possible
balance of bad consequences. On thebasis of this principle, an attempt is made to determine
which actions will lead to thegreatest ratio of benefit to harm for all persons involved in
thesituation.
DIF:Comprehension
5. A nurse is caring for a client who just consented to an elective abortion. thenurse is unsure of
his or her own values as they relate to this issue. What action should thenurse take to address
this barrier to providing effective care to theclient?
a. Reflect on one‘s personal values and how these values relate to beliefs and
thephilosophy of nursing.
b. Be prepared to defend his or her value system.
c. Ignore his or her own values and provide care.
d. Realize that values do not change and that they cannot be influenced by others and so
decline this assignment.
ANS: A
Nurses must make a deliberate effort to recognize their own values and must learn to
consider and respect thevalues of others. Health care decisions are seldom made
independently of other people. Decisions are made with theclient, thefamily, other nurses,
and other health care providers.
DIF:Application
6. When assessing an ethical issue, what is thenurse‘s first intervention?
a. Ask, ―What is theissue?‖
b. Identify all possible alternatives.
c. Select thebest option from a list of alternatives.
d. Justify thechoice of action or inaction.
Contemporary Nursing: Issues, Trends, and Management, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How is theterm Ethics as applied to nursing best defined?
a. Doing what is best for theclient
b. Making good decisions about care
c. Care based on keeping with thevalues of theclient
d. Rules for providing competent care that is based on scientific principles
ANS: C
Nursing ethics is a system of principles intended to guide theactions of thenurse in his or her
relationships with clients, clients‘ family members, other health care providers,
policymakers, and society as a whole. A nurse must make an attempt to understand what
values are inherent in thesituation.
DIF:Knowledge
2. A family requests that no additional heroic measures be instituted for their terminally ill
mother who has advance directives in place. thenurse respects this decision in keeping with
theprinciple of what client right? a. Accountability
b. Autonomy
c. Nonmaleficence
d. Veracity
ANS: B
Autonomy is theprinciple of respect for theindividual person. Within theconcept of autonomy,
people are free to form their own judgments and perform whatever actions they choose. They
are self-determining agents who are entitled to decide their own destiny.
DIF:Comprehension
3. An older adult client is comatose and had one electroencephalogram that indicated no
activity.
thedaughter is very distraught and notices her mother‘s hand moves when she is talking to
her. thedaughter asks thenurse, ―Is mother responding to my voice?‖ thenurse, attempting
to console thedaughter, knows themovement was involuntary but states, ―It does appear
she did.‖ thenurse is violating which principle of ethics? a. Autonomy
b. Veracity
c. Utilitarianism
d. Deontology
, ANS: B
Veracity is theprinciple of telling thetruth in a given situation.
DIF:Comprehension
4. In attempting to decide which services should be offered to a community, thepublic health
nurse decides to implement hypertension screening and treatment because most of
theresidents are hypertensive. This decision is based on what ethical principle? a. Veracity
b. Values
c. Utilitarianism
d. Autonomy
ANS: C
Utilitarianism is an approach that is rooted in theassumption that an action or practice is
right if it leads to thegreatest possible balance of good consequences or to theleast possible
balance of bad consequences. On thebasis of this principle, an attempt is made to determine
which actions will lead to thegreatest ratio of benefit to harm for all persons involved in
thesituation.
DIF:Comprehension
5. A nurse is caring for a client who just consented to an elective abortion. thenurse is unsure of
his or her own values as they relate to this issue. What action should thenurse take to address
this barrier to providing effective care to theclient?
a. Reflect on one‘s personal values and how these values relate to beliefs and
thephilosophy of nursing.
b. Be prepared to defend his or her value system.
c. Ignore his or her own values and provide care.
d. Realize that values do not change and that they cannot be influenced by others and so
decline this assignment.
ANS: A
Nurses must make a deliberate effort to recognize their own values and must learn to
consider and respect thevalues of others. Health care decisions are seldom made
independently of other people. Decisions are made with theclient, thefamily, other nurses,
and other health care providers.
DIF:Application
6. When assessing an ethical issue, what is thenurse‘s first intervention?
a. Ask, ―What is theissue?‖
b. Identify all possible alternatives.
c. Select thebest option from a list of alternatives.
d. Justify thechoice of action or inaction.
