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
A patient with decision-making capacity requests removal of their tunneled catheter against medical advice. Which response is most ethically appropriate?
Answer: Honor the request after ensuring the patient understands the risks
A competent patient's right to refuse or discontinue treatment must be respected after ensuring informed understanding of the consequences.
When participating in vascular access research involving patients, which ethical requirement is paramount?
Answer: Voluntary informed consent free from coercion before study participation
Ethical research requires voluntary, informed participation; coercion or deception violates foundational research ethics principles established by codes such as Belmont.
A nurse documents a complication that occurred during catheter insertion that was not caused by her but by a previous clinician. The ethical obligation is to:
Answer: Accurately document the finding as observed, without assigning blame in the record
Accurate documentation of clinical findings is an ethical duty; assigning blame in the chart is inappropriate, but omitting findings is dishonest.
Which scenario represents an ethically appropriate use of a patient's vascular access for blood draws in a teaching hospital?
Answer: Informing the patient that trainees may be involved and obtaining their permission
Patients must be informed and consent to trainee involvement in their care, balancing education needs with patient rights.
An oncology patient's family asks the vascular access nurse to hide the cancer diagnosis from the patient. The nurse should:
Answer: Explain that withholding a diagnosis from a competent patient violates the patient's rights
Withholding a diagnosis from a competent patient violates their right to truth and autonomous decision-making, regardless of family wishes.
Which action represents appropriate ethical behavior when a nurse is unsure whether a vascular access order is in the patient's best interest?
Answer: Seek clarification from the ordering physician and voice clinical concerns
Nurses have an ethical obligation to question orders that appear inconsistent with patient welfare and to advocate for clarification before proceeding.
A nurse notices that venipuncture is repeatedly attempted on elderly patients by trainees without adequate supervision, causing unnecessary pain. This situation is an ethical concern related to:
Answer: Nonmaleficence — the duty to avoid causing unnecessary harm
Allowing repeated unnecessary failed attempts that cause pain violates nonmaleficence, which requires that care does not impose avoidable harm.