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Questions and Answers
What is the primary ethical obligation of professional nurses?
What is considered a major ethical issue confronting critical care nurses?
What does bioethics refer to in healthcare?
Which of the following describes ethical dilemmas?
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What role does a code of ethics serve in nursing?
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What ethical issue relates to the distribution of healthcare resources?
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Which of the following is NOT typically an ethical dilemma faced by critical care nurses?
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Which practice illustrates ethical decision making in nursing?
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What is the first step in ethical decision making?
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Which ethical principle relates to the right of self-determination concerning medical care?
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What does nonmaleficence primarily emphasize?
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Which of the following is NOT an element of informed consent?
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What is considered negligence in nursing practice?
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Which ethical principle focuses on truthfulness?
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What aspect does justice focus on in healthcare?
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What is a possible consequence of failing to obtain informed consent?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Ethics
- Critical care nurses face ethical and legal dilemmas related to procedures such as informed consent.
- Ethical dilemmas are often by-products of advanced medical technologies.
- Ethics defines what is right or wrong.
- Bioethics involves using ethics to solve healthcare problems.
- Making ethical decisions requires aligning choices with ethical principles.
- A code of ethics acts as a guide for individuals and groups to make decisions regarding ethical issues.
Ethical Issues/ Dilemmas
- Ethical dilemmas arise when there are conflicting moral claims that we either do not know how to resolve, do not agree on how to resolve, or cannot find a satisfactory resolution.
- Critical care nurses face ethical issues regarding informed consent, confidentiality, withholding or withdrawing treatment, organ and tissue transplantation, and resource allocation in healthcare.
Ethical Decision Making
- Ethical dilemmas threaten patients' rights.
- The primary ethical obligation of professional nurses is to protect their patients' basic rights.
- Ethical decision making involves determining right from wrong in situations where clear distinction is not readily available.
- Ethical Decision Making Steps:
- State the dilemma
- Collect, analyze, and interpret the data
- Consider choices of action
- Analyze advantages and disadvantages
- Make the decision
Ethical Principles
- Autonomy: The right of self-determination concerning medical care.
- Beneficence: The obligation to do good for the patient.
- Nonmaleficence: The obligation to not intentionally harm.
- Justice: The fair distribution of healthcare resources.
- Veracity: The truthfulness, the patient's right to know.
- Confidentiality: Respect for the patient's right to control their information.
Legal Accountability in Nursing
- Nurses in critical care have legal responsibilities to patients.
- Nurses should stay aware of evolving case law and judicial trends to prevent negligence and malpractice.
- Negligence is the failure of a person to act in a reasonable manner.
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Elements of a Malpractice Claim:
- The nurse had a specific professional duty to the patient.
- The nurse did not carry out his or her duty.
- The nurse caused injury to the patient
- The patient's injury resulted from the nurse's negligent action.
- Informed consent is based on the principle that competent adults have the right to self-determination, enabling them to decide whether to accept or reject medical treatment.
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Elements of Informed Consent:
- Capacity: The individual's ability to understand information regarding a proposed medical intervention.
- Voluntariness: Ensures that consent is given without coercion.
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Information: Includes:
- Diagnosis of the patient's health problem and condition
- Nature, duration, and purpose of the proposed treatment or procedure
- Probable outcome of any medical or nursing intervention
- Benefits of medical or nursing intervention
- Potential risks that are generally considered hazardous or common
- Alternative treatments and their feasibility
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Description
This quiz explores the ethical and legal dilemmas faced by critical care nurses, focusing on issues such as informed consent and resource allocation. It delves into bioethics, ethical decision-making, and the importance of a code of ethics as a guide in resolving conflicts. Test your knowledge on how ethics intersect with medical technologies and patient rights.