ATI LPN
NCLEX Questions on Legal Aspect of Health Care Questions
Question 1 of 9
The following are the steps of accreditation process, except one:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Intermittent review is not a standard step; the others are part of accreditation.
Question 2 of 9
What is the rationale for laws that provide for legal verdicts of 'guilty but mentally ill?'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The 'guilty but mentally ill' verdict ensures accountability while offering treatment, balancing justice and mental health needs.
Question 3 of 9
A 72 year old woman was admitted to the Neurological Intensive Care Unit following a cerebral hemorrhage which left her with severe brain damage and ventilator dependent. One year before this event, the patient and her husband had drawn up living wills with an attorney. The patient's living will specified that the patient did not want ventilator support, or other artificial life supports, in the event of a terminal condition or a permanent vegetative state. The patient's husband is her legal next of kin and the person with surrogate decision-making authority. When the living will was discussed with him, he insisted that the patient had not intended for the document to be used in a situation like the present one. By this, the husband apparently meant that although the patient would not be able to recover any meaningful brain function, her condition was not imminently terminal. The husband did not consider his wife to be in a permanent vegetative state. The treatment team allowed a week to pass, with the goal of providing the husband more time to be supported in his grief and to see how ill his wife was. Nevertheless, at the end of this time, the husband was unwilling to withdraw life support measures consistent with the patient's wishes as expressed in her living will. Should the hospital follow the patient's wishes in the living will despite the husband's unwillingness to withdraw life support measures?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A living will is strong evidence of patient wishes, but if the surrogate disagrees, a court order may be needed to enforce it.
Question 4 of 9
A failure in professional duty, practice or skill that leads to injury or harm to the patient, is termed as
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Malpractice refers to a failure in professional duty, practice, or skill by a healthcare provider that leads to injury or harm to the patient. This failure is often due to negligence or incompetence and can include errors in diagnosis, treatment, aftercare, or health management. When a healthcare professional deviates from the accepted standards of practice in the medical community and causes harm or injury to a patient, it is considered malpractice.
Question 5 of 9
Apart from the fact that it is 'not a nice thing to do', what is an important ethical disadvantage of deceiving participants?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Deception can undermine trust in researchers and their field, damaging their professional reputation, which is a significant ethical concern.
Question 6 of 9
You have a patient in your clinic who is an elderly woman with multiple medical problems. Her family is extremely grateful for your care and they bring you a meal they cooked at home, a cake, and a scarf. What should you do?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Small gifts of nominal value from patients are ethically acceptable as tokens of gratitude and do not require reporting or refusal.
Question 7 of 9
Nurses and people are elements for Code of Ethics and include which of the following:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Code of Ethics emphasizes the nurse's primary responsibility to patients requiring care, reflecting patient-centered ethical practice.
Question 8 of 9
A 52-year-old Spanish-speaking woman has arrived for the first day of a clinical trial of chemotherapy for breast cancer. You suddenly remember the need for signing a consent form. You ask a medical student to 'get the consent.' He walks up to the patient and says in English, 'Sign this,' and she signs. She completes the trial but her hair falls out and she files suit against you for an improper informed consent. Why will this lawsuit be successful?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Consent must be informed with risks explained in a language the patient understands by someone knowledgeable about the procedure; all these elements were lacking.
Question 9 of 9
A 60-year-old patient with a treatable form of breast cancer has decided not to pursue radiation or chemotherapy. The nurse believes that the patient should be treated. She coerces her into receiving treatment by continuing to remind the patient about her responsibilities for raising her children. What type of behavior has the nurse displayed?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Paternalistic behavior occurs when the nurse thinks she knows what is best for a competent patient and coerces the patient to act as she wishes rather than to act as the patient originally desired. 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.