Chapter 79.

Ethical and Legal Issues of a Caring-Based Practice

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which statement about the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics is accurate?
A. Each state’s legal requirements exceed those of the Code.
B. A primary purpose of the Code is to show physicians that nurses are professional.
C. Nurses, with input from physicians, formulated the Code for all nurses.
D. The Code sets forth the values and ethical principles that guide clinical decisions.
ANS: D PTS: 1

2. Which ethical principle reflects respect for all persons and their self-determination?
A. Autonomy
B. Beneficence
C. Justice
D. Veracity
ANS: A PTS: 1

3. The clinician is using the mnemonic ETHICAL to solve a practice dilemma. What does the
“A” represent?
A. Accountability
B. Autonomy
C. Assess
D. Act
ANS: D PTS: 1

4. In an outpatient setting, what is the most common reason for a malpractice suit?
A. Breach of confidentiality
B. Failure to diagnose correctly
C. Medication-related errors
D. Lack of informed consent
ANS: B PTS: 1

5. Which type of liability insurance covers only situations in which the incident occurred and the
claim was made while the policy was in effect?
A. Claims made policy
B. Occurrence policy
C. An employment coverage policy
D. A “tail policy”
ANS: A PTS: 1

6. Which insurance plan was the first to allow members to choose nurse practitioners as their
primary-care provider and pay them the same rate as physicians for the same care?
A. Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plan
B. Medicare/Medicaid Plan
C. Oxford Health Plan
 D. United Health Insurance Plan
ANS: C PTS: 1

7. What is the primary rationale for using a decision tree to analyze ethical dilemmas?
A. Shows the best solution
B. Explains the ethical principles
C. Delineates the legal parameters
D. Allows all options to be considered
ANS: D PTS: 1

8. In the model for future Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) practice, what does the
“C” of LACE represent?
A. Commitment
B. Consensus
C. Certification
D. Collaboration
ANS: C PTS: 1

9. Which action is best to employ in order to avoid a lawsuit?

A. Obtain good liability insurance.
B. Work with a collaborating physician.
C. Follow documentation principles.
D. Maintain open communication.
ANS: D PTS: 1

10. Which statement or question made by the clinician represents paternalism in health care?
A. “Continuing to drink is not healthy. I don’t want to have to give your eulogy.”
B. “If you do not follow my instruction, I will remove myself from your case.”
C. “I will help you in this process, but in the end you must make the decision.”
D. “You don’t want to come across as uncooperative, do you?”
ANS: B PTS: 1

11. What is the purpose of the Nurse Practice Act of each state?
A. Establishing legal standards
B. Promoting high-quality nursing care
C. Protecting the nurse after licensure
D. Determining exceptions to credentialing
ANS: A PTS: 1

12. Which phrase describes deontology?

A. The greatest amount of happiness or the least amount of harm for the greatest
number
B. The consideration of consequences with the calculation of benefits
C. The belief that the ends justify the means
D. The principle of universalizability
ANS: D PTS: 1
13. Which element is a primary focus of health-care reform?
A. Illness management
B. Fee-for-service
C. Disease prevention
D. Bankruptcy reduction
ANS: C PTS: 1

14. Which ethical principle and concept are most congruent?

A. Veracity – fairness
B. Nonmaleficence – do no harm
C. Beneficence – keeping promises
D. Justice – truth telling
ANS: B PTS: 1

15. The Joint Commission mandates that all health-care organizations have which component in
place?
A. A mechanism for the consideration of ethical issues
B. A standing ethics committee
C. A resident parish nurse
D. A lawyer who is knowledgeable about ethics
ANS: A PTS: 1

16. What is the relationship between ethics and law?

A. Ethical codes are legally binding.
B. What one ought to do is the legal aspect.
C. Legal actions may be both ethical and unethical.
D. There is no relationship between the law and ethics.
ANS: C PTS: 1

17. Which statement accurately describes the APRN’s scope of practice?

A. Regulation of the APRN’s practice ensures public understanding.
B. This delineates the permissible boundaries of APRN professional practice.
C. It expands the APRN’s practice outside each state’s nurse practice act provisions.
D. Each APRN defines his or her own aspect of practice to be included in a protocol.
ANS: B PTS: 1

18. Which board administers and defines advanced nursing practice in all states?
A. The Board of Nursing
B. The Board of Medicine
C. The Board of Pharmacy
D. It is different for each state.
ANS: D PTS: 1

19. Which condition must be present to establish malpractice?

A. The APRN must be paid for the services in question.
B. The provider must have a duty to the patient.
 C. The clinician must act in a similar manner as a prudent person.
D. The plaintiff must prove an indirect link between harm and duty breach.
ANS: B PTS: 1

20. Which requirement regarding prescriptive privilege is granted to APRNs in all states?
A. Additional medication training
B. Need for countersignatures by physicians
C. Statutory independent prescribing authority
D. Certification in prescription drug administration
ANS: C PTS: 1