Exam 3: Ethical and Legal Issues

The client diagnosed with schizophrenia refuses medication at one regularly scheduled home visit from a home-health nurse. Which nursing intervention is ethically appropriate?

A client diagnosed with schizophrenia refuses to take medication, citing the right of autonomy. Under which circumstance would a nurse have the right to medicate the client against the client's wishes?

The unit manager's policy is that clients can make a choice about whether or not to attend group therapy in an inpatient psychiatric unit. Which ethical principle does the unit manager's policy preserve?

A client requests information on several medications in order to make an informed choice about management of depression. A nurse would provide this information to facilitate which ethical principle?

A geriatric client is confused and wandering in and out of every door of a care facility. Which scenario reflects the least restrictive alternative for this client?

A nurse applies extra physical restraints to a client who yells obscenities and threatens harm to the nurse. The nurse's coworker observes this action and feels that this is an inappropriate use of restraints, but fears of retaliation if action is taken against the nurse in question. Which is true about this scenario?

The nurse is answering a phone call in which the person is asking if a client has recently been admitted to a psychiatric facility. Which nursing response reflects appropriate legal and ethical obligations?

Which statement would a nurse identify as correct regarding a client's right to refuse treatment?

A brother calls to speak to his sister, who has been admitted to a psychiatric unit. The nurse connects him to the community phone, and the sister is summoned. Later the nurse realizes that the brother was not on the client's approved call list. What law has the nurse broken?

Which situation exemplifies both assault and battery?

During a hiring interview, which response by a nursing applicant would indicate that the applicant operates from an ethical egoism framework?

A valid, legally recognized claim or entitlement, encompassing both freedom from government interference or discriminatory treatment and an entitlement to a benefit or a service is defined as a _______________________.

In response to a student's question regarding choosing a psychiatric specialty, a charge nurse states, "Mentally ill clients need to feel compassion and care. If I were in that position, I'd want a caring nurse also." From which ethical framework is the charge nurse operating?

Which situation reflects a violation of the ethical principle of veracity?

A client who will be receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) must provide informed consent. Which situation would cause a nurse to question the validity of the informed consent?

A branch of philosophy that addresses methods for determining the rightness or wrongness of one's actions is defined as _______________________.

Which potential client would a nurse identify as a candidate for involuntary commitment?

Which is an example of an intentional tort?

An inpatient psychiatric physician refuses to treat clients without insurance and prematurely discharges those whose insurance benefits have expired. Which ethical principle would a nurse determine has been violated based on these actions?

An involuntarily committed client is verbally abusive to the staff, repeatedly threatening to sue. The client records the full names of the staff. Which nursing action is most appropriate to decrease the possibility of a lawsuit?