Chapter 4: Ethical Concepts
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1) The nurse is providing care to a client who is considered brain dead. The family
has opted to end care, and the healthcare provider asks the nurse to pull the
endotracheal (ET) tube. The nurse is uncomfortable with this request. Which is
the reason the nurse is experiencing difficulty with this task?
1. An ethical conflict
2. Personal values
3. Legal issues
4. A cultural conflict
2) The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient with terminal cancer who
has opted to discontinue treatment and go home. The patient’s family, however,
wants to continue treatment. The nurse agrees to be present while the patient
tells the family. Which ethical patient principle is the nurse supporting?
1. Beneficence
2. Autonomy
3. Nonmaleficence
4. Justice
3) Which statement best describes the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code
of Ethics for professional nurses?
1. “It alleviates suffering for those cared for by professional nurses.”
2. “It provides standards for professional nursing practice.”
3. “It reflects legal judgments in professional nursing practice.”
4. “It serves as legal standards for professional nursing practice.”
4) Which statement regarding the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of
Ethics for professional nurses is accurate?
1. “It is used by all health-care professionals.”
2. “It guides nurses in their professional behavior and relationships.”
3. “It forms the basis for possible lawsuits.”
4. “It is the only code of ethics available for nurses.”
5) Which professional value is the nurse demonstrating by volunteering time to
work in a local free clinic?
, 1. Human dignity
2. Integrity
3. Altruism
4. Social justice
6) Which action is appropriate when dealing with an ethical dilemma in practice?
1. Relying on nursing judgment
2. Examining all conflicts in the situation
3. Investigating all aspects of the situation
4. Making a decision based on the policy of the agency
7) The hospice nurse is providing care to a terminal patient who has asked about
guidance and support in ending life. Which should the nurse recognize
regarding making an ethical and moral decision in this circumstance?
1. Euthanasia has legal implications along with moral and ethical ones.
2. Passive euthanasia is an easy decision to arrive at.
3. Active euthanasia is supported in the Code for Nurses.
4. Assisted suicide is illegal in all states.
8) The nurse is providing care to a 3-year-old child whose parents decide to
decline further treatment for cancer, which has metastasized. There is a conflict
between the child’s parents and the rest of the family. Which should the nurse
consider when determining the appropriate action for this patient?
1. The age of the child
2. The beliefs of the child
3. The values of the parents
4. The values of the rest of the family
9) A patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) states to the
nurse, “Promise you will not tell anyone about my condition.” Which action
should the nurse take, considering HIPAA of 1996?
1. Honor the patient’s wishes
2. Respect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality.
3. Communicate only necessary information.
4. Not disclosing any information to anyone.
10)The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient who has decided to
discontinue the prescribed hemodialysis. The patient’s family, however, is not
, supportive of this decision. When using the theory of principles-based
reasoning, which statement from the nurse is appropriate?
1. “The patient understands the decision and the advanced stage of the
disease. If the patient quits treatment, the patient will die.”
2. “I need to try to help the family understand the patient’s decision so they
can work through this situation together.”
3. “This patient is of sound mind and is capable of making independent
decisions regarding health care. It really is the patient’s decision to
make.”
4. “This patient’s health is so deteriorated that the treatment is not saving
the patient's life. It is prolonging the ultimate outcome, which is death.”
11)The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient scheduled for surgery.
During the preoperative assessment, the nurse discovers that the patient does
not have an adequate understanding of the procedure. Which is the reason for
the nurse to take action?
1. The patient is very old and has multiple health problems.
2. The family needs to agree to the surgery.
3. The nurse witnessed the consent.
4. The patient has a right to informed consent.
12)The nurse is providing care to a patient who states, “My doctor is refusing to
treat me because I am noncompliant with his recommendations.” Which is the
priority nursing action?
1. Have the patient contact a consumer agency.
2. Advise the patient to sue the healthcare provider.
3. Take the patient’s issue to the hospital ethics committee.
4. Notify the healthcare provider of the patient’s complaints.
13)A patient diagnosed with AIDS is admitted to the acute care floor. Which
stance regarding care for this patient is supported by the ANA Code of Ethics?
1. The nurse is morally obligated to care for the patient unless the risk
exceeds responsibility.
2. The nurse has the responsibility to ensure the patient gets adequate
medical care.
3. The patient has the right to choose not to disclose his or her condition to
staff.
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1) The nurse is providing care to a client who is considered brain dead. The family
has opted to end care, and the healthcare provider asks the nurse to pull the
endotracheal (ET) tube. The nurse is uncomfortable with this request. Which is
the reason the nurse is experiencing difficulty with this task?
1. An ethical conflict
2. Personal values
3. Legal issues
4. A cultural conflict
2) The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient with terminal cancer who
has opted to discontinue treatment and go home. The patient’s family, however,
wants to continue treatment. The nurse agrees to be present while the patient
tells the family. Which ethical patient principle is the nurse supporting?
1. Beneficence
2. Autonomy
3. Nonmaleficence
4. Justice
3) Which statement best describes the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code
of Ethics for professional nurses?
1. “It alleviates suffering for those cared for by professional nurses.”
2. “It provides standards for professional nursing practice.”
3. “It reflects legal judgments in professional nursing practice.”
4. “It serves as legal standards for professional nursing practice.”
4) Which statement regarding the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of
Ethics for professional nurses is accurate?
1. “It is used by all health-care professionals.”
2. “It guides nurses in their professional behavior and relationships.”
3. “It forms the basis for possible lawsuits.”
4. “It is the only code of ethics available for nurses.”
5) Which professional value is the nurse demonstrating by volunteering time to
work in a local free clinic?
, 1. Human dignity
2. Integrity
3. Altruism
4. Social justice
6) Which action is appropriate when dealing with an ethical dilemma in practice?
1. Relying on nursing judgment
2. Examining all conflicts in the situation
3. Investigating all aspects of the situation
4. Making a decision based on the policy of the agency
7) The hospice nurse is providing care to a terminal patient who has asked about
guidance and support in ending life. Which should the nurse recognize
regarding making an ethical and moral decision in this circumstance?
1. Euthanasia has legal implications along with moral and ethical ones.
2. Passive euthanasia is an easy decision to arrive at.
3. Active euthanasia is supported in the Code for Nurses.
4. Assisted suicide is illegal in all states.
8) The nurse is providing care to a 3-year-old child whose parents decide to
decline further treatment for cancer, which has metastasized. There is a conflict
between the child’s parents and the rest of the family. Which should the nurse
consider when determining the appropriate action for this patient?
1. The age of the child
2. The beliefs of the child
3. The values of the parents
4. The values of the rest of the family
9) A patient diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) states to the
nurse, “Promise you will not tell anyone about my condition.” Which action
should the nurse take, considering HIPAA of 1996?
1. Honor the patient’s wishes
2. Respect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality.
3. Communicate only necessary information.
4. Not disclosing any information to anyone.
10)The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient who has decided to
discontinue the prescribed hemodialysis. The patient’s family, however, is not
, supportive of this decision. When using the theory of principles-based
reasoning, which statement from the nurse is appropriate?
1. “The patient understands the decision and the advanced stage of the
disease. If the patient quits treatment, the patient will die.”
2. “I need to try to help the family understand the patient’s decision so they
can work through this situation together.”
3. “This patient is of sound mind and is capable of making independent
decisions regarding health care. It really is the patient’s decision to
make.”
4. “This patient’s health is so deteriorated that the treatment is not saving
the patient's life. It is prolonging the ultimate outcome, which is death.”
11)The nurse is providing care to an older adult patient scheduled for surgery.
During the preoperative assessment, the nurse discovers that the patient does
not have an adequate understanding of the procedure. Which is the reason for
the nurse to take action?
1. The patient is very old and has multiple health problems.
2. The family needs to agree to the surgery.
3. The nurse witnessed the consent.
4. The patient has a right to informed consent.
12)The nurse is providing care to a patient who states, “My doctor is refusing to
treat me because I am noncompliant with his recommendations.” Which is the
priority nursing action?
1. Have the patient contact a consumer agency.
2. Advise the patient to sue the healthcare provider.
3. Take the patient’s issue to the hospital ethics committee.
4. Notify the healthcare provider of the patient’s complaints.
13)A patient diagnosed with AIDS is admitted to the acute care floor. Which
stance regarding care for this patient is supported by the ANA Code of Ethics?
1. The nurse is morally obligated to care for the patient unless the risk
exceeds responsibility.
2. The nurse has the responsibility to ensure the patient gets adequate
medical care.
3. The patient has the right to choose not to disclose his or her condition to
staff.
