CCRN Professional and Ethical Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A competent patient refuses a recommended dialysis treatment. What is the nurse's primary ethical obligation?
- Respect the patient's autonomous decision after ensuring informed understanding (Correct answer)
- Notify the family to override the decision
- Proceed with treatment to preserve life
- Have the patient declared incompetent
Correct answer: Respect the patient's autonomous decision after ensuring informed understanding
Autonomy requires respecting a competent patient's informed refusal of treatment.
Question 2: Which ethical principle is violated when a nurse withholds the truth about a poor prognosis from a patient who wants to know?
- Veracity (Correct answer)
- Beneficence
- Justice
- Nonmaleficence
Correct answer: Veracity
Veracity is the duty to tell the truth and not deceive patients.
Question 3: A nurse notices a colleague diverting opioids. What is the most appropriate action?
- Report the concern through proper institutional channels (Correct answer)
- Confront and warn the colleague privately only
- Ignore it without proof
- Document it but take no further action
Correct answer: Report the concern through proper institutional channels
Drug diversion endangers patients and must be reported per facility policy and licensure duties.
Question 4: The ethical principle of justice in critical care primarily concerns:
- Fair and equitable allocation of resources and care (Correct answer)
- Doing no harm to patients
- Keeping promises to patients
- Honoring patient wishes
Correct answer: Fair and equitable allocation of resources and care
Justice addresses fairness in distributing care and resources among patients.
Question 5: A family asks the nurse to not tell the patient about a cancer diagnosis. The best response is to:
- Explore the patient's wishes about how much information they want to receive (Correct answer)
- Comply with the family's request
- Immediately disclose all details to the patient
- Refer the decision entirely to the physician
Correct answer: Explore the patient's wishes about how much information they want to receive
Patient autonomy includes the right to decide how much information they wish to know.
Question 6: Which document allows a patient to designate someone to make healthcare decisions if they become incapacitated?
- Durable power of attorney for healthcare (Correct answer)
- Living will
- DNR order
- Informed consent form
Correct answer: Durable power of attorney for healthcare
A durable power of attorney for healthcare appoints a surrogate decision-maker.
Question 7: Nonmaleficence is best demonstrated when a nurse:
- Double-checks a high-alert medication dose before administration (Correct answer)
- Advocates for equal resource distribution
- Tells the patient the full truth
- Honors a patient's treatment refusal
Correct answer: Double-checks a high-alert medication dose before administration
Nonmaleficence means avoiding harm, exemplified by preventing medication errors.
CCRN Professional and Ethical Practice 2
A competent patient refuses a recommended dialysis treatment.
What is the nurse's primary ethical obligation?