Deck 2 Module 44 Flashcards
A nurse educator is teaching a group of nursing students about the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for professional nurses. Which student nurse response describes the ANA code of ethics?
A) “It alleviates suffering for those cared for by professional nurses.”
B) “It provides standards for professional nursing practice.”
C) “It reflects legal judgments in professional nursing practice.”
D) “It serves as legal standards for professional nursing practice.”
B) “It provides standards for professional nursing practice.”
Rationale:
The ANA Code of Ethics is a formal statement of the group’s ideals and values. It is a set of ethical principles that serves as a standard for professional actions. Codes of ethics usually have higher requirements than legal standards, and they are never lower than the legal standards of the profession. Codes of ethics do not necessarily reflect legal judgments. Codes of ethics provide the atmosphere in which the nurse is able to alleviate suffering.
The nursing instructor is conducting a class regarding nursing ethics with a group of first-year nursing students. The instructor determines that the students have retained the necessary information when the student makes which statement regarding the ANA Code of Ethics?
A) “It is used by all health care professionals.”
B) “It guides nurses in their professional behavior and relationships.”
C) “It is the only code of ethics available for nurses.”
D) “It forms the basis for possible lawsuits.”
B) “It guides nurses in their professional behavior and relationships.”
Rationale:
The ANA Code of Ethics is a guide for nurses in their work with clients and other professionals. There is also an International Code of Ethics promulgated by the International Council of Nurses. Each profession has its own code of ethics. State laws regarding nursing are the basis of lawsuits, not the Code of Ethics.
A nurse has taken a position in the hospital setting. The nurse knows one role of the professional nurse is that of client advocate. Which must the nurse be aware of in preparation to act as a client advocate?
Select all that apply.
A) The rights of a client in a long-term care facility
B) The health department’s client rights statement
C) The hospital’s client rights statement
D) State and federal client rights legislation
E) The unit policy manual
C) The hospital’s client rights statement
D) State and federal client rights legislation
Rationale:
The nurse reviews the rights statement of the hospital because it more specifically identifies which hospital workers assist clients who feel their rights have been violated. The unit policy manual will not have a separate policy statement from the hospital. The health department will have a client rights statement, but the hospital’s statement is more specific to the client’s need. The nurse will not need the rights of clients in long-term care facilities as the client is in the hospital.
The nurse on the transplant organ team encounters new ethical dilemmas with the advent of social and technological changes. Which dilemmas might the transplant team encounter today?
Select all that apply.
A) Cloning
B) Genetic alteration of disease
C) Determining who “deserves” treatment
D) Healthcare provider loyalty to insurance companies
E) Staffing issues
A) Cloning
B) Genetic alteration of disease
C) Determining who “deserves” treatment
Rationale:
Advances in the ability to decode and control the growth of tissues through gene manipulation present new potential ethical dilemmas related to cloning organisms and altering the course of hereditary diseases and biological characteristics. Today, with treatments that can prolong and enhance biologic life, these questions arise: Should we do what we know we can? Who should be treated–everyone, only those who can pay, only those who have a chance to improve? Who decides who receives treatment?
A nurse providing hospice care for an older adult client. The nurse is approached by the client’s adult child. The adult child believes that her other parent, who is in a nursing home, is being neglected. What suggestions can the nurse offer in this situation?
Select all that apply.
A) Contact the client advocate at the nursing facility.
B) Contact the local newspaper.
C) Encourage the daughter to immediately place her mother in a different facility.
D) Contact the consumer protection agency.
E) Report suspicions to the licensing agency.
A) Contact the client advocate at the nursing facility.
E) Report suspicions to the licensing agency.
Rationale:
Many large agencies have client advocates who can help ensure that client rights are maintained. It is important to consider institutionalized remedies before taking extraordinary action. Transferring clients in long-term facilities is often very difficult. The consumer protection agency is not usually involved in nursing home issues. Nursing homes, homes for the aged, and licensed facilities for the disabled are regulated at the state level, and violations committed by these agencies may be reported for investigation.
