NUR3632 Foundations Exam 3 Study
Questions And Answers Well Illustrated.
Chapter 6
1. A nurse caring for patients in the intensive care unit develops values from experience
to form a personal code of ethics. Which statements best describe a characteristic of
the development of a personal value system? Select all that apply.
People are born with values.
Values act as standards to guide behavior.
Values are ranked on a continuum of importance.
Values influence beliefs about health and illness.
Value systems are not related to personal codes of conduct.
Nurses should not let their values influence patient care. - correct answer.1. b, c, d. A
value is a belief about the worth of something, about what matters, which acts as a
standard to guide one's behavior. A value system is an organization of values in which
each is ranked along a continuum of importance, often leading to a personal code of
conduct. A person's values influence beliefs about human needs, health, and illness; the
practice of health behaviors; and human responses to illness. Values guide the practice
of nursing care. An individual is not born with values; rather, values are formed during a
lifetime from information from the environment, family, and culture.
2. Five-year-old Bobby has dietary modifications related to his diabetes. His parents
want him to value good nutritional habits and they decide to deprive him of a favorite TV
program when he becomes angry after they deny him foods not on his diet. This is an
example of what mode of value transmission?
Modeling
Moralizing
Laissez-faire
Rewarding and punishing - correct answer.2. d.When rewarding and punishing are
used to transmit values, children are rewarded for demonstrating values held by parents
and punished for demonstrating unacceptable values. Through modeling, children learn
what is of high or low value by observing parents, peers, and significant others. Children
whose caregivers use the moralizing mode of value transmission are taught a complete
value system by parents or an institution (e.g., church or school) that allows little
opportunity for them to weigh different values. Those who use the laissez-faire
,approach to value transmission leave children to explore values on their own (no single
set of values is presented as best for all) and to develop a personal value system.
3. A nurse who is working in a hospital setting after graduation from a local college uses
value clarification to help understand the values that motivate patient behavior. Which
examples denote "prizing" in the process of values clarification? Select all that apply.
A patient decides to quit smoking following a diagnosis of lung cancer.
A patient shows off a new outfit that she is wearing after losing 20 pounds.
A patient chooses to work fewer hours following a stress-related myocardial infarction.
A patient incorporates a new low-cholesterol diet into his daily routine.
A patient joins a gym and schedules classes throughout the year.
A patient proudly displays his certificate for completing a marathon. - correct answer.3.
b, f. Prizing something one values involves pride, happiness, and public affirmation,
such as losing weight or running a marathon. When choosing, one chooses freely from
alternatives after careful consideration of the consequences of each alternative, such as
quitting smoking and working fewer hours. Finally, the person who values something
acts by combining choice into one's behavior with consistency and regularity on the
value, such as joining a gym for the year and following a low-cholesterol diet faithfully.
4. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing identified five values that epitomize
the caring professional nurse. Which of these is best described as acting in accordance
with an appropriate code of ethics and accepted standards of practice?
Altruism
Autonomy
Human dignity
Integrity - correct answer.4. d. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
defines integrity as acting in accordance with an appropriate code of ethics and
accepted standards of practice. Altruism is a concern for the welfare and well-being of
others. Autonomy is the right to self-determination, and human dignity is respect for the
inherent worth and uniqueness of individuals and populations.
5. A professional nurse with a commitment to social justice is most apt to:
Provide honest information to patients and the public
Promote universal access to health care
Plan care in partnership with patients
Document care accurately and honestly - correct answer.5. b. The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing lists promoting universal access to health care as an
example of social justice. Providing honest information and documenting care
accurately and honestly are examples of integrity, and planning care in partnership with
patients is an example of autonomy.
6. When an older nurse complains to a younger nurse that nurses just aren't ethical
anymore, which reply reflects the best understanding of moral development?
"Behaving ethically develops gradually from childhood; maybe my generation doesn't
value this enough to develop an ethical code."
,"I don't agree that nurses were more ethical in the past. It's a new age and the ethics
are new!"
"Ethics is genetically determined ... it's like having blue or brown eyes. Maybe we're
evolving out of the ethical sense your generation had."
"I agree! It's impossible to be ethical when working in a practice setting like this!" -
correct answer.6. a. The ability to be ethical, to make decisions, and to act in an
ethically justified manner begins in childhood and develops gradually
7. A home health nurse who performs a careful safety assessment of the home of a frail
elderly patient to prevent harm to the patient is acting in accordance with which of the
principles of bioethics?
Autonomy
Beneficence
Justice
Fidelity
Nonmaleficence - correct answer.7. e. Nonmaleficence is defined as the obligation to
prevent harm. Autonomy is respect for another's right to make decisions, beneficence
obligates us to benefit the patient, justice obligates us to act fairly, and fidelity obligates
us to keep our promises.
8. A professional nurse committed to the principle of autonomy would be careful to:
Provide the information and support a patient needed to make decisions to advance
one's own interests
Treat each patient fairly, trying to give everyone his or her due
Keep any promises made to a patient or another professional caregiver
Avoid causing harm to a patient - correct answer.8. a. The principle of autonomy
obligates nurses to provide the information and support patients and their surrogates
need to make decisions that advance their interests. Acting with justice means giving
each person his or her due, acting with fidelity involves keeping promises to patients,
and acting with nonmaleficence means avoiding doing harm to patients.
9. Janie wants to call an ethics consult to clarify treatment goals for a patient no longer
able to speak for himself. She believes his dying is being prolonged painfully. She is
troubled when the patient's doctor tells her that she'll be fired if she raises questions
about his care or calls the consult. This is a good example of:
Ethical uncertainty
Ethical distress
Ethical dilemma
Ethical residue - correct answer.9. b. Ethical distress results from knowing the right
thing to do but finding it almost impossible to execute because of institutional or other
constraints (in this case, fear of losing her job). Ethical uncertainty results from feeling
troubled by a situation but not knowing if it is an ethical problem. Ethical dilemmas occur
when the principles of bioethics justify two or more conflicting courses of action. Ethical
residue is what nurses experience when they seriously compromise themselves or allow
themselves to be compromised.
, 10. A student nurse begins a clinical rotation in a long-term care facility and quickly
realizes that certain residents have unmet needs. The student wants to advocate for
these residents. Which statements reflect a correct understanding of advocacy? Select
all that apply.
Advocacy is the protection and support of another's rights.
Patient advocacy is primarily done by nurses.
Patients with special advocacy needs include the very young and the elderly, those who
are seriously ill, and those with disabilities.
Nurse advocates make good health care decisions for patients and residents.
Nurse advocates do whatever patients and residents want.
Effective advocacy may entail becoming politically active. - correct answer.10. a, c, f.
Advocacy is the protection and support of another's rights. Among the patients with
special advocacy needs are the very young and the elderly, those who are seriously ill,
and those with disabilities; this is not a comprehensive list. Effective advocacy may
entail becoming politically active. Patient advocacy is the responsibility of every member
of the professional caregiving team—not just nurses. Nurse advocates do not make
health care decisions for their patients and residents. Instead, they facilitate their
decision making. Advocacy does not entail supporting patients in all their preferences.
Chapter 7
1. A state attorney decides to charge a nurse with manslaughter for allegedly
administering a lethal medication. This is an example of what type of law?
Public law
Private law
Civil law
Criminal law - correct answer.1. d. Criminal law concerns state and federal criminal
statutes, which define criminal actions such as murder, manslaughter, criminal
negligence, theft, and illegal possession of drugs. Public law regulates relationships
between people and the government. Private or civil law includes laws relating to
contracts, ownership of property, and the practice of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and
dentistry.
2. Newly hired nurses in a busy suburban hospital are required to read the state Nurse
Practice Act as part of their training. Which topics are covered by this act? Select all that
apply.
Violations that may result in disciplinary action
Clinical procedures
Medication administration
Scope of practice
Delegation policies
Medicare reimbursement - correct answer.2. a, d. Each state has a Nurse Practice Act
that protects the public by broadly defining the legal scope of nursing practice.
Practicing beyond those limits makes nurses vulnerable to charges of violating the state
Nurse Practice Act. Nurse Practice Acts also list the violations that can result in
disciplinary actions against nurses. Clinical procedures are covered by the health care
institutions themselves. Medication administration and delegation are topics covered by
