Nursing Ethics and Legal Issues
Exam Preparation Guide
Course Introduction
This course explores the ethical and legal challenges encountered in contemporary nursing practice. Students will examine foundational ethical theories, professional standards, legal responsibilities, and frameworks that guide decision-making in patient care. Topics include patient rights, informed consent, confidentiality, end-of-life decisions, professional boundaries, negligence, and advocacy. By analyzing case studies and real-life scenarios, students develop critical thinking skills necessary to navigate complex dilemmas, uphold professional integrity, and deliver compassionate, ethical care within the boundaries of the law.
Recommended Textbook
Conceptual Foundations The Bridge to Professional Nursing Practice 6th Edition by Elizabeth E. Friberg
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20 Chapters
472 Verified Questions
472 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1014 Page 2
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Professional Nursing in the United States
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22 Verified Questions
22 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20106
Sample Questions
Q1) When nursing registration laws were enacted,a "registered nurse" was defined as someone who had (Select all that apply. )
A)attended an acceptable nursing program.
B)fit the definition of a professional nurse.
C)had not been convicted of any felonies.
D)passed a board evaluation examination.
E)studied under a standardized curriculum.
Answer: A,D
Q2) Discrimination against African American nurses began to wane during A)Kennedy's presidency.
B)the civil rights era.
C)the Vietnam War.
D)World War II.
Answer: D
Q3) Today's nurse understands that legal recognition for nurses was imperative to A)allow nurses to expand beyond the hospital setting.
B)lobby for better wages and working conditions.
C)protect the public from untrained nurses.
D)provide hospitals with accreditation requirements.
Answer: C
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Chapter 2: Pathways of Nursing Education
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24 Verified Questions
24 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20107
Sample Questions
Q1) A high school guidance counselor is working with a student who wants to attend a baccalaureate nursing school.The counselor explains that the main considerations when choosing a nursing program are (Select all that apply. )
A)accessibility.
B)cost.
C)location.
D)program length.
E)quality.
Answer: A,B,E
Q2) To discriminate between the two major branches of doctoral education for nurses,the aspiring student would classify the differences between them as primarily A)cognate versus practice emphasis.
B)knowledge formulation versus utilization.
C)systems generation versus systems thinking.
D)tool generation versus tool application.
Answer: B
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4
Chapter 3: Beyond Professional Socialization
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11 Verified Questions
11 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20108
Sample Questions
Q1) A nurse is giving a report to the hospital nursing counsel on the Institute of Medicine's report: "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change,Advancing Health." What broad goals does the nurse report on? (Select all that apply. )
A)Credentialing will continue to be the best way to advance practice.
B)Nurses should be allowed to practice to the extent of their capabilities.
C)Nursing should be included as an equal partner in health care reform.
D)The nursing workforce is encouraged to attain higher levels of education.
E)Workforce data collection needs infrastructure to enable meaningful use.
Answer: B,C,D,E
Q2) A nurse manager is evaluating staff members for the strength of their professional identity and ability to contribute to the profession into the future.Which nurse best demonstrates these qualities?
A)Consistently incorporates knowledge,judgment,and ethics into everyday situations
B)Provides information on the latest research findings related to patient populations
C)Serves as the research "champion" on the hospital unit-based council structure
D)Uses evidence-based practice consistently when working with patients
Answer: A
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Professional Nursing Roles
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33 Verified Questions
33 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20109
Sample Questions
Q1) A novice nurse trying actively to create a nursing identity and synthesize role into self-image formulates a personal view of praxis that includes (Select all that apply. )
A)a broader understanding of nursing.
B)both reflection and specific actions.
C)caring for others as a central theme.
D)nursing as both an art and a science.
E)performing skills without supervision.
Q2) A nurse on the oncology unit is distraught because a patient died alone while the nurse was charting and believes that the demands of documentation are excessive and harm patient care.What action by the unit manager would be most helpful?
A)Ask the nurse about a job transfer.
B)Encourage the nurse to delegate more.
C)Hold a debriefing on the situation.
D)Refer the nurse to Employee Assistance.
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Chapter 5: Theories and Frameworks for Professional
Nursing Practice
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26 Verified Questions
26 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20110
Sample Questions
Q1) A nurse whose practice is guided by Peplau's theory would judge that care objectives had been met when the patient
A)assists in setting goals that they work together to meet.
B)has mastered all tasks and knowledge needed for self-care.
C)is able to adapt to limitations and alter ways of doing activities of daily living (ADLs).
D)understands the effects of stress in exacerbating illness.
Q2) A nurse works in an emergency department and frequently uses Lazarus's theory of coping.When a family is distraught by a family member's apparent heart attack,what action by the nurse is best from this theory's standpoint? (Select all that apply. )
A)Assess the family for coping strategies used during previous crises.
B)Begin assessing the family for discharge teaching and support needs.
C)Help the family understand treatments available to manage the condition.
D)Inform the family of the location of the cafeteria and waiting rooms.
E)Provide the family with food and beverages as a universal sign of caring.
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Chapter 6: Health Policy and Planning and the Nursing
Practice Environment
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29 Verified Questions
29 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20111
Sample Questions
Q1) A nurse is concerned about an upcoming debate on a proposed state health care policy change.What actions can the nurse take in order to have his or her voice heard on this issue? (Select all that apply. )
A)Contact legislators by phone to express opinions.
B)Encourage nursing experts to testify at hearings.
C)Gather information and speak at the hearings.
D)Run for election to governmental office.
E)Write letters to supportive state representatives.
Q2) A nurse is worried about an upcoming judicial appointment.A co-worker explains that the nurse can voice opinions about such matters best by
A)calling the majority party's leadership.
B)phoning the nurse's House member.
C)sending a petition to the president.
D)writing to the senator from that state.
Q3) Bills that include funding requests are known as __________ bills.
A)authorization
B)finalized
C)funded
D)supplemental
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Economic Issues in Nursing and Health Care
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20112
Sample Questions
Q1) In trying to understand current problems in today's health care environment,the nurse could reframe the discussion as a problem created by
A)competing interests of market and governmental forces.
B)tension between for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.
C)too many different agencies providing the same services.
D)unchecked rises in providers' salaries and fees for service.
Q2) The Director of Nursing (DON)at a large urban hospital is tasked with increasing the hospital's profits and improving quality.What action by the DON is best?
A)Engage in monopsony with regional hospitals.
B)Hire more nonprofessional ancillary staff.
C)Implement policies to prevent hospital-acquired infections.
D)Purchase capital budget items only when necessary.
Q3) A health care practice has changed its mix of patients and now accepts fewer self-paying and more insured patients.The office manager tells the staff to anticipate A)caring for more-educated patients.
B)offering expanded office hours and days.
C)ordering more diagnostic tests.
D)providing more preventive care.
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Chapter 8: Effective Communication
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26 Verified Questions
26 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20113
Sample Questions
Q1) The director of nursing (DON)of a hospital is concerned about communication problems among different professionals that seem to lead to patient care problems.What action by the DON would be most appropriate?
A)Call a meeting of the managers from all the professional areas.
B)Develop a task force to encourage better communication.
C)Host informal sessions where professionals can clarify their roles.
D)Institute formal communication channels between groups.
Q2) A nursing manager is frustrated by a committee that consistently fails to meet goals and generally demonstrates a lack of progress or results.The manager can conclude that
A)established policies and procedures might be inhibiting productivity.
B)self-serving behaviors outweigh the task behaviors in the group.
C)the committee's goals are vague and the committee lacks direction.
D)the leadership within the group is not skilled at group management.
Q3) The nurse knows that reframing is a useful technique when the patient
A)cannot articulate fears embedded in the conversation.
B)is confused and unable to articulate his or her concerns.
C)pauses the conversation,letting the nurse summarize.
D)uses absolutely concrete verbiage such as "never."
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Think Like a Nurse: Essential Thinking Skills for Professional Nurses
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26 Verified Questions
26 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20114
Sample Questions
Q1) The nursing student understands that being willing to listen and examine all ideas,even if they cause a negative reaction when considering them,describes the critical thinking characteristic known as intellectual A)autonomy.
B)courage.
C)humility.
D)integrity.
Q2) A new nurse is always asking questions,even when there does not seem to be a problem,much to the annoyance of some of the new nurse's co-workers.The nurse manager's best response to this situation is to
A)explain to co-workers this is a characteristic of critical thinking.
B)suggest the nurse work more closely with a preceptor.
C)talk with the nurse and suggest asking fewer questions.
D)tell the staff that all new nurses go through this phase.
Q3) When the nurse is assessing a patient,the best action by the nurse is to
A)focus on assessment data collected with the five senses.
B)not rely on information from friends,who may be wrong.
C)use both primary and secondary sources of information.
D)use secondary sources to determine assessment priorities.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century
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28 Verified Questions
28 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20115
Sample Questions
Q1) A faculty member is preparing a class that covers very sophisticated and difficult material.This faculty member uses the cognitive learning theories predominantly.To use cognitive theory to teach this material,the faculty member would most likely A)assess students' knowledge first because they may need to "unlearn" other material. B)assign a case study that requires group collaboration and problem solving. C)prepare a detailed lecture complete with informative slides and handouts. D)require students to read heavily on their own and give minimal information.
Q2) A faculty mentor is explaining to a new faculty member how to assess affective objectives.The mentor states that the individual needing to make a health-related behavior change first needs to accomplish A)accepting.
B)receiving.
C)responding.
D)valuing.
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12
Chapter 11: Legal Aspects of Nursing Practice
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28 Verified Questions
28 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20116
Sample Questions
Q1) A nurse wants to change a law that regulates nursing practice.Before proposing this change,the priority action by the nurse should be to
A)check for national standards regarding the practice under question.
B)determine whether other professional groups would help implement it.
C)find a state senator who will sponsor and support the proposed bill.
D)hire a lobbyist to represent the nurse's opinion in the legislature.
Q2) A nursing faculty member has signed a 2-year contract.This faculty member knows this type of contract is known as A)enforceable.
B)express.
C)implied.
D)promissory.
Q3) Several nurses are discussing a patient and family in the cafeteria.The best response by one of the nurses to this discussion is A)"Let's discuss this once we get back to the nurses' station."
B)"Shh! The patient's family might be in the cafeteria now."
C)"This is confidential information and shouldn't be discussed."
D)"We should really keep our voices down so others can't hear us."
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Chapter 12: Ethical Dimensions of Nursing and Health Care
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21 Verified Questions
21 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20117
Sample Questions
Q1) A patient is in pain and requests pain medication.The nurse sees that it is too early to administer the medication.Practicing under the principle of veracity,the nurse should
A)bring the medication a little bit early to give the patient pain relief.
B)call the physician and request an extra dose of the pain medication.
C)sit with the patient and offer nonpharmacological pain interventions.
D)tell the patient when to expect the medication and bring it on time.
Q2) A faculty member explains that professional ethics
A)guide behavior based on group consensus.
B)is completely an individual nurse's concern.
C)is optional in groups considered professions.
D)should not consider the goals of the profession.
Q3) The practicing nurse best understands the concept of ethics to mean
A)acting on what is right in a situation.
B)always doing what patients want.
C)being of good moral character.
D)following strict guidelines for action.
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Chapter 13: Information Management
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16 Verified Questions
16 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20118
Sample Questions
Q1) A student studying informatics in nursing understands which of the following terms? (Select all that apply. )
A)An information-literate person can find,retrieve,analyze,and use information.
B)Health informatics is the study of systems and information technology.
C)Information literacy incorporates informatics and information management processes.
D)Information management consists of collecting,processing,and communicating data.
E)The focus of health information is on the management of the systems used.
Q2) The student nurse is learning to write PICOT questions.What elements does the student include? (Select all that apply. )
A)C: Cost
B)I: Intervention
C)O: Outcome
D)P: Place
E)T: Time element
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15
Chapter 14: Diversity in Health and Illness
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26 Verified Questions
26 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20119
Sample Questions
Q1) An experienced nurse explains to a newly hired nurse that understanding other cultures' worldviews is important in helping individuals meet health care goals,because
A)culture is an important concept in health and illness.
B)every culture has its own related values and attitudes.
C)people may be afraid of others with differing views.
D)people's worldviews influence their perception of health care.
Q2) The nursing student knows that Leininger's theory of cultural care includes cultural (Select all that apply. )
A)care accommodation/negotiation.
B)care repatterning/restructuring.
C)compromise/confrontation.
D)preservation/maintenance.
E)reeducation/recreating.
Q3) A faculty member explains that four states and Washington,DC are known as "majority-minority" areas,meaning
A)areas where the minority population is expected to become the majority.
B)non-white,non-Hispanic individuals make up the population majority.
C)places where the majority group alternates between white and nonwhite.
D)regions where there is no dominant population group to make a majority.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Health and Health Promotion
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20120
Sample Questions
Q1) The nursing policy analyst explains to a class of nursing students that the consumer wellness movement helped create
A)a surge in wellness and fitness centers across the nation.
B)market-based competition for customer services.
C)new types of health care insurance.
D)self-care focus in health policies and public health initiatives.
Q2) Before providing written information or behavioral contracts to a patient,a nurse should ascertain that the patient
A)can read and understand.
B)has resources for change.
C)is ready to make changes.
D)wants to make changes.
Q3) A nurse is explaining a behavioral contract with the patient.Which statement by the nurse is most accurate? "A behavioral contract
A)lets me decide what rewards I will give you when you meet certain objectives."
B)does not have a specific time frame and continues until I terminate it."
C)eliminates the need to keep records of the behavior we are working on."
D)is planned and evaluated by both of us and concerns a specific goal."
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17
Chapter 16: Genetics and Genomics in Professional Nursing
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20121
Sample Questions
Q1) A patient wants to know if he or she should order some genetic testing from a private firm that has been advertising heavily in the area.The nurse explains that some drawbacks to using a private firm for direct-to-consumer (DTC)genetic testing are (Select all that apply. )
A)a physician might not accept the findings of the tests.
B)private firms charge far more for testing than hospitals.
C)providers may not have the knowledge to interpret results.
D)the consumer might misunderstand the information.
E)the consumer might order unnecessary genetic tests.
Q2) A patient wishes to construct a family medical history but does not know how to begin.The best response by the nurse would be to
A)have the patient use the U.S.Surgeon General's Family History Tool.
B)interview the patient and try to construct as good a history as possible.
C)refer the patient to a qualified genetics and genomics counselor for help.
D)send the patient home with a list of questions to ask his or her relatives.
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18
Chapter 17: Global Rural Nursing Practice
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14 Verified Questions
14 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20122
Sample Questions
Q1) A rural nurse is planning a community health event and explains to the sponsors that the focus needs to be the most common health problems faced in the area,which include
A)diabetes and premature birth.
B)heart failure and stroke.
C)lung disease and stroke.
D)liver disease and cancer.
Q2) A community nurse working in a rural area is planning programming to meet community needs.Which program option should the nurse develop?
A)Adolescents who need after-school activities
B)Free or reduced cost immunizations for children
C)Mother-parent classes for expectant families
D)Older residents who have chronic illnesses
Q3) The nurse knows that the Rural Healthy People (RHP)2020 project identified the top priority health care need as
A)access to quality health care.
B)emergency department care.
C)more inpatient hospital beds.
D)the need for female doctors.
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Chapter 18: Violence Against Women: An Epidemic and a Health Issue
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21 Verified Questions
21 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20123
Sample Questions
Q1) The nurse working with female patients assesses each for exposure to the many forms of violence against women,which include (Select all that apply. )
A)femicide.
B)fraud.
C)isolation.
D)name calling.
E)sexual coercion.
Q2) A patient presents to the clinic with a sore throat and sinus pain,but the nurse notices several bruises of different ages,including some on her face.When asked,the patient states she fell down the stairs last week.Which action by the nurse is best?
A)Ask the patient outright whether she is being abused by someone.
B)Call local law enforcement to come and take a crime report.
C)Document the injuries but do not question the patient about it.
D)Explain that these injuries do not seem consistent with a fall.
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Chapter 19: Telehealth
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20124
Sample Questions
Q1) The nursing faculty explains to a class of nursing students that one difference between telemedicine and telehealth is that
A)electronic medical records are required by law.
B)medical ethics are more ingrained in telemedicine.
C)telehealth is used by many health care specialties.
D)telemedicine is not covered by health insurance.
Q2) A rural hospital has a new nurse manager who has never worked with telehealth before.In evaluating the program,what indicators would best demonstrate a successful program? (Select all that apply. )
A)Fewer hospital admissions for chronic conditions
B)Patient report of satisfaction with the process
C)Police report fewer encounters with mentally ill patients in crisis
D)Remote providers report satisfaction with technical quality
E)Third-party reimbursement for 90% of billed charges
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21
Chapter 20: Patient Safety
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29 Verified Questions
29 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20125
Sample Questions
Q1) A nursing manager explains to the executive committee that reducing errors requires
A)disciplining staff members who continue to make errors.
B)focusing on systems problems and not blaming individuals.
C)having an anonymous error reporting procedure for staff.
D)holding individuals responsible for the errors they commit.
Q2) The nursing executive attempting to incorporate the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses' (AACN's)Healthy Work Environment Standards would formulate which policy? The manager would create a policy to
A)encourage all nurses to return to school to complete degrees.
B)limit environmental hazards currently present in the facility.
C)provide discounts to a local fitness center for all employees.
D)use a standard "handoff" report format at change of shift.
Q3) The nursing manager understands that the phrase "active failure" in regard to patient safety means a(n)
A)system process is actively injuring patients and needs modification.
B)workplace practice is actively contributing to poor patient outcomes.
C)error has actively caused a patient to have a negative consequence.
D)unsafe act was committed by someone in direct contact with patients.
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