ATI RN
Contemporary Ethical Issues in Nursing Questions
Question 1 of 5
When an RN is asked to accept an assignment that he or she may not be qualified to perform, the nurse should:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Step-by-step rationale for why Answer D is correct: 1. Ensures patient safety: RN should only accept assignments they are qualified for to provide safe care. 2. Upholds professional standards: Accepting only familiar assignments aligns with nursing scope of practice. 3. Legal and ethical responsibility: RN must prioritize patient well-being over external pressures. 4. Promotes personal growth: RN can seek additional training for unfamiliar assignments. Summary: - A: Incorrect. Accepting based on power dynamics disregards patient safety and professional ethics. - B: Incorrect. Patient safety should be the primary concern over workload. - C: Incorrect. Past handling may not guarantee appropriateness. Focus should be on personal qualification.
Question 2 of 5
The occupational health and safety nurse would like to develop programs designed to decrease mortality and morbidity among the workforce. When considering factors related to mortality among health care workers, the nurse should focus efforts on prevention of:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: bloodborne disease. Health care workers are at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis B and C. Prevention strategies include proper use of personal protective equipment and adherence to infection control protocols. Bloodborne diseases can have serious consequences on the health and well-being of healthcare workers, leading to mortality and morbidity if not properly prevented. Explanation for incorrect choices: A: Suicide - While mental health is an important concern, it is not specifically related to mortality among healthcare workers. B: Violence related injury - While workplace violence is a concern, it may not be the leading cause of mortality among healthcare workers. D: Ergonomic hazards - While important for preventing injuries, it may not directly relate to mortality among healthcare workers compared to bloodborne diseases.
Question 3 of 5
Nurses entering the workforce at a large urban hospital soon began volunteering for excessive overtime. A focus group found that upon graduation, many of these nurses purchased expensive cars and furniture. They lacked skills in managing their checkbook and were often unable to pay recurring bills; this finding would be relevant to which component of the Workforce Advocacy Ecosystem Model?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Personal and social factors. This finding is relevant to personal and social factors because it highlights the individual behaviors and financial decisions of the nurses entering the workforce. The nurses' lack of financial management skills and tendency to overspend on luxury items indicate personal factors influencing their ability to handle their finances effectively. Additionally, their social environment, such as peer influences or societal pressure to display wealth, could also contribute to their financial struggles. Incorrect choices: A: Staffing - This choice focuses on the recruitment and deployment of staff, which is not directly related to the nurses' personal financial management issues. B: Workflow design - This choice pertains to how tasks are organized and coordinated within the workplace, which is not directly related to the nurses' personal financial challenges. C: Organizational factors - This choice refers to the broader context of the hospital's policies, culture, and structures, which may indirectly influence the nurses' financial behaviors but are not as directly related as personal and social factors
Question 4 of 5
Nurses in a unionized hospital are paid "compensatory pay" when working holidays equal to the number of hours worked with no extra compensation. Although they have suggested changes during the annual survey of employee satisfaction, management refuses to consider another system for compensatory pay. A trained member listened to both nurses and management to make recommendations that were not legally binding. This type of settlement is termed:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: mediation. In this scenario, a trained member listened to both parties (nurses and management) and made recommendations that were not legally binding. Mediation involves a neutral third party facilitating communication and negotiation between conflicting parties to help them reach a mutually acceptable resolution. It is non-binding, unlike binding arbitration, where a decision is imposed on the parties. Picketing involves organized striking by employees to protest against employer practices. Grievance is a formal complaint process within an organization. Mediation is the appropriate term for this non-binding settlement process in this context.
Question 5 of 5
A group of RNs wish to seek union representation that would protect all workers in the agency including nonlicensed assistive personnel and non-nursing employees such as nutritionists and dietary workers. The type of union being sought is the strongest collective group and is known as a(n):
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: industrial union. Industrial unions represent all workers in a particular industry regardless of their specific job roles, providing collective bargaining power for a broader group. In this scenario, the RNs seeking union representation aim to include nonlicensed personnel and non-nursing employees, making an industrial union the most appropriate choice. A: Occupational union focuses on specific occupational groups, not as inclusive as industrial unions. C: Union shop refers to a workplace where all employees must join the union after being hired, not related to the scope of representation. D: Right-to-work bargaining organization allows employees to choose whether or not to join the union, not the strongest type of union for collective representation.