ATI LPN
Ethics and Legal Issues in Healthcare Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is caring for a client who has expressed a desire to refuse treatment. What is the nurse's ethical responsibility in this situation?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should respect the client's autonomy and right to refuse treatment. Autonomy is a fundamental principle of nursing ethics, which means that clients have the right to make decisions about their own care, including refusing treatment. The nurse's ethical responsibility is to respect the client's autonomy and support their right to make informed decisions about their care.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is faced with a situation where two ethical principles seem to conflict. How should the nurse approach the ethical decision-making process in this case?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When faced with conflicting ethical principles, the nurse should seek guidance from a nurse manager or ethics committee to provide a structured approach to ethical decision-making and navigate the conflict effectively.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse receives a gift from a patient as a token of appreciation for their care. What action should the nurse take to uphold professionalism and ethical boundaries?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Seeking guidance from the nursing manager ensures the nurse follows institutional policies and maintains professional boundaries when navigating gift acceptance.
Question 4 of 5
What ethical concept is central to the dilemma of allocating limited organ transplants and justifying who receives them?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The ethical concept central to the allocation of limited organ transplants is 'justice.' Organ allocation decisions are complex and involve considerations of fairness and equitable distribution of a scarce resource. The principle of justice in medical ethics emphasizes the need for fair and just allocation methods to ensure that patients have an equal opportunity to receive organs based on need and medical criteria rather than factors such as socioeconomic status or privilege.
Question 5 of 5
What is the key difference between virtue theory and other ethical theories?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The key difference is that virtue theory emphasizes the moral character of the individual. This is because virtue theory focuses on the development of moral character and the cultivation of virtues, rather than solely on the consequences of actions or whether actions are beneficial. It emphasizes the importance of developing virtuous traits such as honesty, kindness, and courage and believes that virtuous individuals will naturally make ethical choices. This distinguishes virtue theory from other ethical theories that may prioritize the consequences of actions or the idea of what is good or beneficial.