Ethical Considerations Flashcards
7 cards from real VABC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ethical Considerations flashcards as text
Which statement BEST describes the ethical concept of veracity as applied to vascular access nursing?
Answer: Provide truthful, accurate information to patients about procedures and risks
Veracity obligates clinicians to be truthful with patients about procedures, risks, and outcomes to support genuine informed consent.
A nurse discovers during catheter care that a PICC was placed in a patient who later stated they did not consent to the procedure. This situation should be:
Answer: Reported as a potential ethical and legal violation through proper incident reporting channels
Performing a procedure without informed consent is both an ethical violation and potential battery; it must be reported through incident reporting systems.
In resource-limited settings, which ethical framework guides the allocation of scarce vascular access devices such as implanted ports?
Answer: Utilitarianism — maximize benefit for the greatest number of patients
Utilitarian ethics prioritizes allocation decisions that produce the greatest overall patient benefit when resources are scarce.
A patient signs consent for a midline catheter but during insertion the nurse realizes a PICC is clinically indicated. The nurse should:
Answer: Stop, explain the clinical situation, and obtain new consent for the PICC before proceeding
Consent is procedure-specific; inserting a different device than the one consented to requires new informed consent.
Which action by a vascular access nurse BEST demonstrates the ethical principle of fidelity?
Answer: Returning to the patient after a PICC insertion to assess and address any concerns as promised
Fidelity means keeping promises and being reliable; following through on commitments made to patients exemplifies this principle.
A nurse is pressured by a supervisor to insert a vascular access device in a patient who has clearly withdrawn consent. The nurse should:
Answer: Refuse and document that the patient has withdrawn consent
No authority—supervisory or otherwise—can override a competent patient's withdrawal of consent; proceeding would constitute assault.
Which documentation practice most strongly supports ethical accountability in vascular access care?
Answer: Accurate, timely, and complete documentation of all procedures, complications, and patient communications
Accurate and complete documentation creates an ethical and legal record that protects both patients and clinicians.