Psychiatric/Mental Health (Exam Two) Flashcards
A nurses primary responsibility is to the _________.
Patient
What does legislation determine?
What is right or good within a society
What concept systemically distinguishes the rightness and wrongness of certain behaviors?
Ethics
What term is used to describe ethical principals within the scope of medicine, nursing, and allied health?
Bioethics
Conduct that results from serious critical thinking about how individuals ought to treat others is referred to as what?
Moral behavior
Describe values.
Personal beliefs about what is important and desirable to self
Expectations to which an individual is entitled either by established laws, policies, or ethical principals are known as what?
Rights
Which ethical theory is based on the ‘greatest happiness’ principal?
Utilitarianism
What two underlying principals is utilitarianism associated with?
- Greatest good for the greatest number
- End justifies the means
Which ethical theory is directly opposed to utilitarianism?
Kantianism
Kantianism is also known as what?
Deontology
Describe the basic underlying principal of christian ethics?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Which ethical theory emphasizes the rational that as human beings, we inherently know the difference between good and evil?
Natural law theory
The ethical egoism theory bases decisions on what?
Based on what is best for the individual making the decision
An operating room nurse asks a psychiatric nurse, "How can you work with the mentally ill day in and day out?" The psychiatric nurse replies, "Its just the right thing to do." The psychiatric nurse is operating from which ethical framework? A. Kantianism B. Christian ethics C. Ethical egoism D. Utilitarianism
A. Kantianism
An ethical dilemma in nursing is a situation that requires the nurse to make a choice between _____ ________ _________ ___________.
Two equally unfavorable alternatives
Provide an example of the ethical concept of ‘taking no action is considered an action taken’.
A nurse witnesses a fellow RN perform an action that could have brought harm to a patient, but the nurse chooses to not report it
What term describes the idea that individuals are capable of making independent decisions and health-care workers must respect these decisions?
Autonomy
Nurses who perform actions that serve in the clients best interest are adhering to which ethical principal?
Beneficence
Describe nonmaleficence.
Act of do no harm, either intentionally or unintentionally
Describe the ethical principal of justice.
All individuals should be treated equally and fairly
Provide and example in which the ethical principal of justice is violated.
A patient diagnosed with bipolar is denied treatment due to their inability to pay
Which ethical principals refers to one’s duty to always be truthful and not intentionally deceive or mislead clients?
Veracity
When might limitations be placed on the ethical principal of veracity?
- When the truth would knowingly produce harm
- When the truth would interfere with the recovery process
Patients have a right to know about their ________, _________, and _________.
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Prognosis
List the steps for making an ethical decision in chronological order.
- Assessment
- Problem identification
- Planning
- Implementation
- Evaluation
T/F: It is ethically and legally appropriate for psychiatric or mental health clients to refuse treatment, including medications.
True
When should the patient’s right to refuse treatment and/or medication be denied or overruled?
Patient exhibits behavior that is dangerous to self or others
List the three criteria that must be met to force medication without patient consent.
- Patient exhibits behavior that is dangerous to self or others
- Medication must have a reasonable chance of providing help to the patient
- Judged incompetent to evaluate the benefits of the treatment
T/F: The patient has a right to whatever level of treatment is effective and least restricts his or her freedom.
True
T/F: Harmless mentally ill individuals can be confined against their will even if they are able to remain safe outside of a hospital setting.
- False.
- Harmless mentally ill individuals cannot be confined against their will if they are able to remain safe outside of a hospital setting
What is the purpose of the Nurse Practice Act (NPA)?
Defines the legal parameters of professional and practical nursing
Nurse practice acts are examples of what type of law?
Statutory law
Describe common law.
Laws derived from decisions made in previous cases
Provide an example of common law.
How different states deal with a nurse’s refusal to provide care for a specific client
What is a tort? What are the different types of torts?
- Violation of civil law in which an individual has been wronged
- Intentional tort
- Unintentional tort
List examples of an unintentional tort.
- Malpractice
- Negligence actions
List examples of an intentional tort.
-Touching of another person without consent
A patient on the psychiatric unit is threatening to sue the facility. List appropriate responses by the nurse.
- Work with patient in a professional manner
- Maintain professional demeanor
- Remain calm
Which constitutional amendments protect an individuals right to privacy?
- Fourth amendment
- Fifth amendment
- Fourteenth amendment
What is the federal statue that protects private patient information from being disclosed?
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
What must be provided for patient health-care information to be shared with anyone outside the current treatment team?
Written consent
List exceptions to the laws of privacy and confidentiality.
- A duty to warn
- Suspected child or elder abuse
The nurse should ensure what three major elements of informed consent have been addressed with the patient?
- Knowledge
- Competency
- Free will
In what situation can seclusion or restrains be administered or utilized?
The patient is a danger to themself or a danger to others
In what instance can restraints or seclusion be utilized by health-care professionals?
Patient exhibits behavior that is dangerous to self or others
A schizophrenic patient was ordered to be placed in restraints by the HCP for three hours after threatening to commit suicide. After one hour, the patient has reverted to normal self and is no longer suicidal. What is the most appropriate intervention to be performed by the nurse?
Remove the restraints
How often must a patient be monitored if they are placed in restraints or in seclusion?
Every 15 minutes
How often should restraints be removed if the patient is 18 years of age or older?
Every 4 hours