ATI RN
Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Nursing PDF Questions
Question 1 of 9
A young adult on a limited income who is having back pain states, "I want to see a chiropractor, but I don't have any money. However, I do have health insurance." The most appropriate response that the nurse can provide is:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: "most insurance companies will pay for chiropractic treatment." Chiropractic care is a recognized form of treatment by most health insurance providers. Many insurance plans cover chiropractic services for conditions such as back pain. This is because chiropractic care is considered a cost-effective and evidence-based treatment option for musculoskeletal issues. Choice B is incorrect because chiropractors are licensed healthcare professionals in all states and many insurance plans do cover their services. Choice C is incorrect as chiropractic medicine is a well-established form of complementary and alternative medicine that is recognized by insurance companies. Choice D is incorrect because while chiropractic medicine does have preventive aspects, it is still commonly covered by insurance for treatment of various conditions.
Question 2 of 9
A hospital standard states, "All intravenous (IV) sites must be rotated every 72 hours." The nurse who assesses and records variations from this standard is fulfilling which role of nursing?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Quality management. The nurse assessing and recording variations from the hospital standard of rotating IV sites every 72 hours is fulfilling a quality management role by ensuring adherence to established protocols to maintain patient safety and prevent complications. Quality management involves monitoring and improving healthcare processes to enhance patient outcomes. In this scenario, the nurse's actions contribute to maintaining high standards of care. Summary: A: Infection control focuses on preventing and controlling the spread of infections, not specifically related to monitoring compliance with IV site rotation. C: Coordinator position involves organizing and coordinating care, not directly related to assessing adherence to standards. D: Counselor provides emotional support and counseling to patients, not related to monitoring and maintaining healthcare standards.
Question 3 of 9
A hospital recently learned that their scorecard did not meet the national benchmark for patient satisfaction and brought in a professional change agent to determine what their issues were and how they could improve their score. The agent collected data and recommended that nurses participate in interdisciplinary walking rounds and allow the patient and family to be participants. Nurses now round every shift and perform "huddles to update the team" as needed throughout the shift as part of best practices. Random visits are made to nursing units to ensure all nurses are participating and patients are interviewed for their involvement. This stage of Lewin's change is:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: moving. In Lewin's change management model, the process involves three stages: unfreeze, move, and refreeze. In this scenario, the hospital has already identified the need for change (unfreeze) by recognizing the issue with patient satisfaction scores. The change agent's recommendations and the implementation of interdisciplinary walking rounds and involving patients and families in rounds indicate the active phase of making changes and transitioning to new practices (moving). The actions taken, such as rounding every shift, updating the team through huddles, monitoring nurse participation, and interviewing patients, all demonstrate movement towards the desired change. Refreeze would come after the changes have been successfully implemented to stabilize and institutionalize the new practices. The options A (unfreeze) and C (refreeze) are incorrect as the hospital is currently in the implementation phase of change, and option D (resistance) does not apply as there is no indication of significant resistance to the proposed changes in the scenario provided.
Question 4 of 9
In orientation, a new graduate is surprised to learn of workplace violence in health care agencies and asks, "What kind of violence is common in hospitals?" The educator describes workplace violence as: (select all that apply)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A because workplace violence in health care agencies commonly includes violence towards staff by patients or visitors, especially in cases where patients are victims of domestic violence. This type of violence can manifest as physical aggression, verbal abuse, or threatening behavior. The other choices are incorrect because B describes workplace sabotage, C focuses on personal development unrelated to workplace violence, and D describes a scenario unrelated to violence towards staff in a healthcare setting.
Question 5 of 9
One workplace issue "the nursing shortage" is caused by several complex issues, including:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: an aging nursing workforce. This is because as nurses age, many are retiring or reducing their work hours, leading to a shortage of experienced nurses in the workforce. This issue is further exacerbated by the increasing demand for healthcare services due to population growth and aging populations. The other choices are incorrect because: A: Movement of nurses into acute care settings may shift the distribution of nurses but does not directly cause a shortage. B: The use of unlicensed assistive personnel may impact the workload of RNs but is not the primary cause of the nursing shortage. C: While Baby Boomers may have contributed to the overall number of nurses, it does not directly explain the current shortage.
Question 6 of 9
A nurse is removing a saturated dressing from an abdominal incision and must cut the tape to remove the dressing. The nurse accidentally cuts the sutures holding the incision, and evisceration occurs. In quality improvement, this incident is best identified as a:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: sentinel event. A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological harm to a patient. In this scenario, the accidental cutting of sutures leading to evisceration constitutes a serious harm to the patient, making it a sentinel event. This event requires immediate investigation, analysis, and implementation of preventive measures to ensure patient safety. A: Root cause refers to the underlying reason for a problem, not the event itself. C: Variation in performance is related to inconsistencies in processes, not a specific critical incident like evisceration. D: Causal factor is a contributing element to an event, but it does not capture the severity and significance of a sentinel event like evisceration.
Question 7 of 9
A nurse researcher determines whether findings are substantial by calculating the level of significance. Which aspect of the scientific inquiry is being conducted?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Evaluation. In this scenario, the nurse researcher is determining the significance of findings, which falls under the evaluation phase of scientific inquiry. Evaluation involves assessing the results and determining their importance and relevance. It is crucial in determining the validity and impact of the research findings. A: Hypothesis - While formulating a hypothesis is an important step in the scientific method, it is not directly related to determining the significance of findings. B: Method - Refers to the procedures used to conduct the research study, not specifically related to evaluating the significance of findings. C: Data collection - Involves the process of gathering data, not directly related to determining the level of significance of findings.
Question 8 of 9
A group of nurses are meeting to decide how to staff the upcoming holidays. Each of the four members freely expresses thoughts about fair staffing but is willing to listen to other thoughts and reconsider their first recommendations. The nurses are avoiding conflict and supporting professional communication through:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: supportiveness. In this scenario, the nurses are engaging in a collaborative process, listening to each other's perspectives, and being open to reconsidering their initial recommendations. Supportiveness involves actively encouraging others, showing understanding, and fostering a positive and constructive environment. Empathy (A) involves understanding and sharing others' feelings, which is important but not the primary focus in this context. Positiveness (B) is about having a positive attitude, which is beneficial but does not capture the essence of the nurses' behavior. Accommodation (D) involves making concessions, which is not the main theme in this situation where the nurses are aiming for mutual understanding and collaboration.
Question 9 of 9
A male nurse hired to work in the emergency department is observed throwing a contaminated needle into the trash can. The team leader reprimands the nurse for not appropriately disposing of sharps. The nurse states, "You don't care that I threw the needle in the trash. You just want an all-female staff," putting the team leader in a defensive position. This communication technique is known as:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: red herring. In this scenario, the male nurse deflects the issue of improper sharps disposal by accusing the team leader of having ulterior motives related to gender discrimination. This is a classic example of a red herring, where the nurse introduces an irrelevant topic to divert attention from the original issue. The nurse's response does not address the concern raised about sharps disposal but instead shifts the focus to an unrelated accusation. The other choices are incorrect because they do not accurately describe the communication technique used in the scenario. A straw man involves misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack, slippery slope is a form of logical fallacy, and confusing cause and effect refers to a mistaken understanding of the relationship between two events.