ATI LPN
Legal and Ethical Aspects of Healthcare Questions
Question 1 of 5
A 65-year-old heavy smoker with a lengthy history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease comes to the office due to recent-onset hemoptysis. He reports 3-5 episodes of coughing up blood in the past month. He also reports a 9.1-kg (20-lb) weight loss in the past 2 months. Chest radiograph reveals a suspicious lesion, and a bronchoscopy followed by biopsy establishes the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. When the patient is informed of his condition and the prognosis, he asks that no one in his family be told the news yet. He seems tearful but cognitively intact. His wife, who usually brings him to his visits and is also his health care proxy, calls the next day to inquire about the pathology report. She says she is deeply concerned because her husband is reluctant to discuss his condition. Which of the following is the most appropriate course of action?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Confidentiality must be respected, but the patient should be encouraged to share with his wife due to her role and impact.
Question 2 of 5
This type of law results from judicial decisions, is heard in court, and is the most common type of case a nurse is involved in.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Common law is the correct answer because it refers to a type of law that is developed through judicial decisions and is based on precedents set by previous court cases. Nurses often encounter common law cases as they involve legal disputes and issues that arise in healthcare settings. This type of law is different from statutory law, which is created by legislative bodies, and regulatory law, which is established by administrative agencies.
Question 3 of 5
This is the person being accused of the crime
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is defendant. In a legal case, the defendant is the person who is being accused of the crime. They are the individual that the prosecution is trying to prove guilty. The jury is a group of individuals who listen to the evidence presented in court and determine the defendant's guilt or innocence. The criminal refers to the nature of the case, as it involves a crime. The plaintiff, on the other hand, is the person or party who brings a lawsuit against another in civil cases, not criminal cases.
Question 4 of 5
A 77-year-old woman with an inoperable brain tumor has been hospitalized for the past 5 days. Her daughter comes to visit her. The patient has asked that her daughter not be told her diagnosis. After visiting with her mother, the daughter asks to speak to the nurse. She says, 'My mother claims she has pneumonia, but I know she is not telling me the truth.' The daughter asks the nurse to tell her what is truly wrong with her mother. The nurse should tell her that:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse's first allegiance is to the patient and her desire for confidentiality. Telling the daughter to speak to the physician would place the physician in the same position as the nurse. Telling her that her mother has pneumonia would be a lie. The nurse, of course, should inform the physician of the patient's wishes so that he will be prepared if the daughter questions him about her mother's health condition.
Question 5 of 5
A patient has asked the nurse to explain her laboratory results. The nurse informs the patient that he must first assist another patient to the bathroom and then he will explain the results. The nurse assists the other patient to the bathroom and then returns to explain the results to the patient. What moral principle has the nurse displayed?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Fidelity is the obligation to keep promises. Autonomy refers to a person's right to choose and his ability to act on that choice. Nonmaleficence is the twofold principle of doing no harm and preventing harm. Beneficence is the duty to do or promote good.