Exam 2: Ethics and Standards of Practice Issues

The labor and delivery nurse is providing care to a patient in active labor. The nurse notes EFM changes that suggest fetal distress and monitors the fetus for an additional 20 minutes before calling the health care provider. The health care provide determines that an emergency cesarean delivery is required. During transport, EFM is interrupted and not resumed due to expectations of an emergent procedure. A stillborn fetus is delivered. For which actions can the nurse be held legally responsible? Select all that apply.

A patient at 33 weeks gestation with a first pregnancy arrives at the labor and delivery unit with contractions. After monitoring the patient, the nurse determines the woman is in active labor and calls the health care provider (HCP), who prescribes a sleeping medication and sends the patient home. Which action does the nurse take?

An experienced OB nurse has accepted a position in labor and delivery of an inner-city hospital providing care for multicultural clients. Which action by the nurse is most helpful in preparation for this position?

The nurse in an OB's office is evaluating a patient who exhibits vaginal bleeding at 30 weeks gestation. The patient is prescribed bedrest at home and instructed to avoid lifting. The patient states, "I cannot go to bed, I have an 18-month-old at home." On which topic of the Jonsen model for ethical decision making will the nurse focus?

The nursing department of a large facility is interested in improving clinical care with the introduction of EBP. Which barriers to EBP does the nursing department expect within the facility? Select all that apply.

The nurse is providing care for a patient in active labor. The patient continuously asks the nurse for medication to "stop the pain." Which ethical principle does the nurse use when replying, "We need to protect the baby from being overmedicated. Let me help you with some breathing and relaxation techniques"?

A nurse is suspended for refusal to participate in the performance of an elective termination of a pregnancy. Which specific group's standards does the nurse use for job reinstatement?

The nurse works in the labor and delivery department. Which action by the nurse indicates a breach in the nursing care principles outlined by AWHONN?

Parents of a neonate are grieving over their child's life-threatening disabilities. The neonate's course of treatment has changed three times in the last 24 hours due to irrational parenteral decisions. Which interventions will the NICU nurse implement in order to fulfill nursing responsibility to both the parents and the neonate? Select all that apply.

The nurse is employed in a NICU. With each new admission, the neonate is classified in a specific category regarding care. The nurse is in the process of admitting a neonate at 22 weeks gestation with multiple life-threatening conditions involving both cardiac and respiratory systems. In which category of care does the nurse expect the neonate to be placed?

The nurse works in the maternal-newborn unit dedicated to management of high-risk pregnancy and delivery. A patient has delivered two children who died from a genetic disorder. The current pregnancy tests positive for the same disorder. Which ethical decision-making model will the nurse use with this patient?

The nurse is providing care for a patient in labor. The unborn fetus was diagnosed with severe microcephaly at 20 weeks' gestation. The patient tells the nurse, "We want everything done to save our baby who has as much right to a good life as anyone else." Which ethical approach does this represent?

The nurse on a maternity unit is an Orthodox Jew whose rabbi teaches that pregnancy terminations are permitted only to save the life of the mother. Which situation becomes possible if the nurse puts aside personal values and assists with elective terminations?

The nurse manager in the labor and delivery unit decides that all unit nurses are to take a course in electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) as recommended by AWHONN. Which is the most important issue related to EFM the nurse manager is expecting to address?

Which factors will facilitate the integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) in the maternity-newborn clinical setting? Select all that apply.

The nurse is experiencing an ethical dilemma when confronted with a situation in which either the mother or fetus is predicted to die. The nurse feels bound by the ANA Code of Ethics to protect both patients. Which aspect of care during an ethical dilemma will guide the nurse?

The nurse in an obstetrician's office is discussing a patient's request for legally terminating an unwanted pregnancy after the fetus tests positive for Down syndrome. The woman and her spouse have five children from ages 11 to 17 years, and the family lives in an isolated rural area. Which action does the nurse take?

The nurse is assisting a patient in the use of an ethical decision-making model related to quality of life. Which question is inappropriate when using this model?

The nurse works in a postpartum maternal-newborn unit and notices a newborn who is exhibiting signs of distress. Through investigation, the nurse learns the newborn's mother has a history of abusing street drugs. Which facility system does the nurse report as being deficient?