CRITICAL CARE NURSING, 6TH EDITION: LINDA D. URDEN

2 Urden, Stacy, Lough: Critical Care Nursing, 6th Edition Chapter 2: Ethical Issues Test Bank MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. The difference between morals and ethics is that ethics a. is more concerned with the “why” of behavior. b. distinguishes the good or right in conduct. c. is broader in scope. d. concentrates on the right or wrong of behavior. ANS: A Ethics are derived from an evaluation of an action based on a set of standards; morals are codes of conduct, determining right or wrong actions. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: {Differences between Morals and Ethics} OBJ: Nursing Process Step: General TOP: Ethics MSC: NCLEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment 2. A client’s wife has been informed by the physician that her spouse has a permanent C2-3 spinal injury resulting in permanent quadriplegia. The wife states that she does not want the physician or nursing staff to tell the client about his injury. The client is awake, alert, and oriented when he asks his nurse to tell him what has happened. The nurse has conflicting emotions about how to handle the situation and is experiencing a. powerlessness. b. moral distress. c. moral doubt. d. frustration. ANS: B The nurse has been placed in a situation initially causing moral distress and is struggling with determining the ethically appropriate action to take. Emotions that follow moral distress can include powerlessness, frustration, and even doubt in the ability to make an immediate decision. DIF: Cognitive Level: Comprehension REF: {Moral Distress} OBJ: Nursing Process Step: General TOP: Ethics MSC: NCLEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment 3. The critical care nurse can best enhance the principle of autonomy by