Nursing Ethics Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Nursing Ethics explores the fundamental principles and standards guiding moral decision-making and professional conduct in nursing practice. This course examines ethical theories, legal frameworks, and codes of ethics relevant to patient care, confidentiality, informed consent, and professional boundaries. Students will analyze real-life scenarios involving ethical dilemmas, developing the skills needed to address issues such as patient autonomy, end-of-life care, cultural competence, and advocacy. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking, reflective practice, and effective communication to support ethical nursing actions in diverse healthcare settings.
Recommended Textbook Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Nursing 4th Edition by Margaret A. Burkhardt
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20 Chapters
313 Verified Questions
313 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Social, Philosophical, and Other Historical Forces
Influencing the Development of Nursing
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16 Verified Questions
16 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Nursing practice is influenced by:
A) history.
B) spiritual beliefs.
C) religious practice.
D) philosophical influences.
E) all of the above.
Answer: E
Q2) The overarching belief system of a culture that deals with the culture's beliefs about the nature of the universe is termed:
A) cosmology.
B) religion.
C) values.
D) astrology.
Answer: A
Q3) The social status of women affects the status of the nursing profession because:
A) nursing has traditionally been a profession of women.
B) throughout history, nurses have been afforded higher social status.
C) women of higher social status rarely become nurses.
D) women are more skilled than men at nurturing others.
Answer: A
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Ethical Theory
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Kantian maxim requiring that one treat others always as ends and never as a means is known as:
A) the categorical imperative.
B) the practical imperative.
C) deontology.
D) utilitarianism.
Answer: B
Q2) What theory is based on the rationalist view that the rightness or wrongness of an act depends upon the nature of the act, rather than its consequence?
A) Deontology
B) Formalism
C) Kantianism
D) Act utilitarianism
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Ethical Principles
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses recognizes that confidentiality:
A) flows from respect for persons and is an absolute requirement in all situations.
B) is restricted to legal regulations and definitions.
C) is not absolute and may be modified to protect the patient or other innocent people.
D) None of the above
Answer: C
Q2) _____________ is a term used to describe the process by which competent patients give voluntary consent for medical or surgical treatments or biomedical research after receiving disclosure about potential risks and benefits.
A) Autonomy
B) Paternalism
C) Informed consent
D) Advocacy
Answer: C
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Chapter 4: Values Clarification
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14 Verified Questions
14 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The process of becoming more conscious of and naming what we value or consider worthy is:
A) journaling.
B) values clarification.
C) overt values.
D) values conflict.
Q2) Values of individual institutions and organized health care systems that are explicitly communicated through philosophy and policy statements are called:
A) formal values.
B) overt values.
C) institutional values.
D) covert values.
Q3) A nurse who used to love her job and now frequently exhibits anger, dissatisfaction, frustration, and poor work performance may be experiencing:
A) moral awareness.
B) moral thought.
C) moral distress.
D) moral values.
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Chapter 5: Values Development
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16 Verified Questions
16 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A basic method of fixing belief whereby the person obstinately adheres to beliefs already held is called:
A) authority.
B) a priori.
C) tenacity.
D) reasoning.
Q2) In Fowler's Stage of Faith Development, Stage 6 is called:
A) Individuative-Reflective faith.
B) Universalizing faith.
C) Intuitive-Projective faith.
D) Synthetic-Conventional faith.
Q3) Human values development is often referred to as:
A) moral development.
B) faith development.
C) ethical values.
D) formal operations development.
Q4) Human values development reflects the content and process of learning what is right and wrong within a culture.
A) True
B) False
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Chapter 6: Ethics and Professional Nursing
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) ____ refers to a person who has an obligation to accept responsibility and to account for actions.
A) Autonomy
B) Expertise
C) Authority
D) Accountability
Q2) Because society allows professionals a monopoly over the services they provide, ethics demands that those services must be provided with expertise.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a function of nurse practice acts? Select all that apply.
A) Defines nursing practice
B) Protects practicing nurses
C) Describes the boundaries of nursing practice
D) Establishes standards for nursing
E) Protects the domain of nursing
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8
Chapter 7: Ethical Decision Making
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The nurse manager asks Martha, a staff nurse, if she will work an additional 4 hours at the end of her shift. Martha's patient is unstable, and there is insufficient staff on the next shift to care for her adequately. If she works overtime, Martha will break a promise she made to take her children to the circus. This situation is an example of:
A) moral distress.
B) a moral dilemma.
C) moral reckoning.
D) a practical dilemma.
Q2) The first step in the ethical decision-making process is:
A) implementing the strategy.
B) gathering data.
C) evaluating outcomes of an action.
D) articulating the problem.
Q3) Physicians sometimes make unilateral decisions in morally important situations because:
A) moral decision making is reserved for physicians.
B) nurses are seldom aware of the patient's wishes and life context.
C) there is, sometimes, power imbalance in the health care setting.
D) it is illegal for nurses to participate in moral decision making.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Legal Issues
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26 Verified Questions
26 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) First- and second-degree murder, arson, burgarly, extortion, kidnapping, rape, and robbery are examples of which type of crime?
A) Misdemeanor
B) Precedent
C) Felony
D) Citation
Q2) The omission to do something that a reasonable person would do, guided by those ordinary considerations which ordinarily regulate human affairs, refers to:
A) negligence.
B) unintentional tort.
C) malpractice.
D) common law.
Q3) Speaking false and defamatory words is an example of:
A) slander.
B) libel.
C) false imprisonment.
D) gossiping.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Professional Relationship Issues
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The nurse's primary obligation is to which of the following?
A) The patient
B) The employer
C) The physician
D) The profession
Q2) Racism is prohibited by which of the following?
A) The Civil Rights Act of 1964
B) The ICN Code of Ethics for Nurses
C) The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses
D) All of the above
Q3) _____________ occurs when one directs hostile or aggressive behavior toward another member of the same group.
A) Discrimination
B) Lateral violence
C) Sexual harassment
D) Disparate impact
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11
Chapter 10: Practice Issues Related to Technology
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ethical considerations related to situations of medical futility relate to which of the following?
A) Views about whether the intervention is prolonging living or prolonging dying
B) Values and views of involved parties regarding what is benefit or burden
C) Values of involved parties regarding availability and cost of the medical care
D) a and b
E) All of the above
Q2) The ability to alter organisms genetically for a variety of purposes is:
A) eugenics
B) genetic screening
C) genetic diagnosis
D) genetic engineering
Q3) Instructions indicating a client's wishes regarding health care interventions or designating someone to act as a surrogate in making such decisions are called:
A) healthcare provider orders
B) palliative care
C) advance directives
D) nursing care plan
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Chapter 11: Practice Issues Related to Patient Self
Determination
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Competence is:
A) a legal action physicians can impose on patients who are elderly and confused.
B) the ability of a patient to understand medical options and treatment.
C) a legal ruling regarding a person's ability to make meaningful life decisions.
D) the ability of a patient to communicate about current events.
Q2) The information that needs to be included in an informed consent document include which of the following?
A) A description of all treatment options, even those that the health care provider does not favor or cannot provide
B) The benefits, risks, and consequences of the various treatment alternatives including nonintervention
C) The nature of the health concern and prognosis if nothing is done
D) All of the above
E) a and b
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13
Chapter 12: Scholarship Issues
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16 Verified Questions
16 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Authorization from research participants to use patient health information (PHI) for research purposes should include which of the following?
A) What PHI will be disclosed.
B) The purpose for which the PHI will be used.
C) Who will have access to the PHI.
D) All of the above
E) b and c
Q2) A nurse researcher who decides to discontinue a research project because the findings indicate that the risks of the study outweigh the benefits is applying the principle of:
A) beneficence.
B) justice.
C) trustworthiness.
D) confidentiality.
Q3) Taking anothers ideas or work and presenting them as our own is called:
A) veracity.
B) cheating.
C) fidelity.
D) plagiarism.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Global Consciousness in the Twenty First Century
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true about alternative traditions of health care except:
A) they provide comprehensive approaches to health promotion and disease prevention.
B) they generally address mental, physical, spiritual, and ecological health factors.
C) they are used by a limited number of people in developing countries around the world.
D) they may be supported and encouraged by governments and leaders in some countries.
Q2) Nursing involvement with refugees and displaced persons can occur at what levels?
A) Emergency needs
B) Care and maintenance
C) Seeking ongoing solutions
D) All of the above
E) a and b
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Chapter 14: Health Policy Issues
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Sample Questions
Q1) A nurse becomes concerned because her facility consistently requires mandatory overtime, up to 40 additional hours per week. The nurse brings the issue to the attention of her professional organization, and together they approach their legislator. These acts can be considered which of the following?
A) Policy formulation
B) Policy implementation
C) Policy evaluation
D) Policy modification
Q2) Which of the following is both a moral and political issue?
A) Abortion
B) Stem cell research
C) Physician-assisted suicide
D) All but b above
E) All of the above
Q3) Which of the following is true?
A) Moral issues and political issues are very different.
B) Knowledge of moral principles will guide policy makers to the one correct policy.
C) A moral issue can become "political" in a number of ways.
D) Judicial precedents are rarely considered when policy is formulated.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Economic Issues
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A "health care system which attempts clinically and financially to control primary health care services in a medical group practice through elimination of redundant facilities and services for the purpose of reducing costs" describes which of the following health care financing systems?
A) Fee for service
B) Universal health care
C) Categorical financing
D) Managed care
Q2) Which of the following is a natural consequence of utilitarian forms of health care financing?
A) Resources and services will be distributed equally.
B) Some people will not receive resources and services.
C) Those people with the greatest need receive the bulk of resources and services.
D) People who have greater personal resources will receive greater benefit.
Q3) The traditional health care system in the United States is:
A) managed care.
B) fee-for-service.
C) universal health insurance.
D) single payer systems.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Social Issues
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following factors contribute to a domestic violence victim returning to her abusive partner except:
A) support from the criminal justice system.
B) lack of housing and suitable job.
C) pressure from family and friends.
D) concern for children's well-being.
Q2) When considering health care options for patients, nurses need to be aware that federal programs for the indigent cover what percentage of individuals living on incomes below the poverty line?
A) 25 percent
B) 50 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 100 percent
Q3) If two patients need the same resources in the same medical situation, it is justifiable, when resources are scarce, to limit them to patients having insurance and showing an ability to pay for the resources.
A)True
B)False
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18
Chapter 17: Gender Issues
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) patients are more likely to receive substandard health care. When caring for LGBT patients, nurses should do which of the following? Select all that apply.
A) Become aware of LGBT health care issues.
B) Be sensitive to creating an environment that encourages open dialogue.
C) Avoid gender neutral language when communicating with patients.
D) Assure patients that private information will remain confidential.
E) Do not ask specific questions about sexual practices.
Q2) As recently as the mid-20th century, nursing students were taught to stand and offer the physician a seat and to accompany the physician on rounds, carrying patient charts. This practice is an example of which of the following?
A) Sexism
B) Paternalism
C) Nursism
D) Parentalism
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19
Chapter 18: Transcultural and Spiritual Issues
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15 Verified Questions
15 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Knowing about the values, beliefs, behaviors, norms, and customs of a patient who comes from a culture other than your own is:
A) cultural awareness.
B) cultural sensitivity.
C) ethnocentrism.
D) all of the above.
Q2) When addressing values such as autonomy, beneficence, and the right to self-determination with patients, nurses need to understand that:
A) all cultures consider these values to be very important in health decisions.
B) the cultural perspective of all people involved must be considered.
C) cultural sensitivity means the family must be included in the discussion.
D) these values are understood pretty much the same in most cultures.
Q3) A key factor in dealing with transcultural issues is:
A) ethnocentrism.
B) culture.
C) diversity.
D) self-awareness.
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20
Chapter 19: Empowerment for Nurses
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15 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ethical nursing conduct reflected in current nursing codes includes all of the following behaviors except:
A) following physician orders without question.
B) being alert for incompetent practice and care.
C) taking appropriate action to safeguard patients.
D) reporting practice that might endanger patients.
Q2) Which of the following statements accurately describe the concept of empowerment? Select all that apply.
A) Self-esteem, personal values, and perceptions are factors that can influence empowerment.
B) Empowerment is understood to be a participative process or partnership between a nurse and patient.
C) Empowerment does not require respect for an individual's personal beliefs and goals.
D) Sharing of knowledge through education is important for empowerment.
E) Empowerment requires trust in the person's ability to make decisions, take action, and be accountable for the actions.
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Chapter 20: Facilitating Patient Enpowerment
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Sample Questions
Q1) Nurses can foster empowerment in patients in various ways that may include which of the following? Select all that apply.
A) Being a role model of self-empowerment
B) Giving patients opportunities to make choices
C) Providing support to patients
D) Helping patients discover how to access resources
E) Not becoming politically active regarding health care issues that involve vulnerable populations
Q2) To enable patient empowerment, nurses need to recognize that:
A) health professionals know what is best for patients.
B) patients need help in making health care decisions.
C) patients are responsible for their own health.
D) health professionals give power to patients.
Q3) Patient empowerment flows from nursing's focus on:
A) advocacy.
B) patient care.
C) paternalism.
D) locus of control.
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