Exam 3: Ethical and Legal Issues in Critical Care Nursing

The nurse is caring for an elderly patient who is in cardiogenic shock.The patient has failed to respond to medical treatment.The intensivist in charge of the patient conducts a conference to explain that treatment options have been exhausted and to suggest that the patient be given a "do not resuscitate" status.This scenario illustrates the concept of

Which statement regarding ethical concepts is true?

A specific request made by a competent person that directs medical care related to life-prolonging procedures in the event that person loses capacity to make decisions is called a

The nurse is caring for a patient whose condition has deteriorated and who is not responding to standard treatment.The physician calls for an ethical consultation with the family to discuss potential withdrawal of treatment versus aggressive treatment.The nurse understands that applying a model for ethical decision making involves which of the following?

Ideally,an advance directive should be developed by the

Which of the following statements about resuscitation is true?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is declared brain dead and is an organ donor.The following events occur: 1300 Diagnostic tests for brain death are completed.1330 Intensivist reviews diagnostic test results and writes in the progress note that the patient is brain dead.1400 Patient is taken to the operating room for organ retrieval.1800 All organs have been retrieved for donation.The ventilator is discontinued.1810 Cardiac monitor shows flatline.What is the official time of death recorded in the medical record?

Which of the following organizations requires a mechanism for addressing ethical issues?

The American Nurses Credential Center Magnet Recognition Program supports many actions to ensure that nurses are engaged and empowered to participate in ethical decision making.Which of the following would assist nurses in being involved in research studies?

The nurse is caring for an 80-year-old patient who has been treated for gastrointestinal bleeding.The family has agreed to withhold additional treatment.The patient has a written advance directive specifying requests.The directive notes that the patient wants food and fluid to be continued.The nurse anticipates that several orders may be written to comply with this request,including which of the following?

The nurse is caring for a critically ill patient with terminal cancer.The monitor alarms and shows a potentially lethal rhythm.The patient has no pulse.The patient does not have a "do not resuscitate" order written on the chart.What is the appropriate nursing action?

The nurse utilizes which of the following strategies when encountering an ethical dilemma in practice?

The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with a traumatic brain injury following a motor vehicle crash.Several weeks later,the patient is still ventilator dependent and unresponsive to stimulation but occasionally takes a spontaneous breath.The physician explains to the family that the patient has severe neurological impairment and is not expected to recover consciousness.The nurse recognizes that this patient is

The nurse is caring for a patient who has been declared brain dead.The patient is considered a potential organ donor.To proceed with donation,the nurse understands that

The nurse is caring for a patient with severe neurological impairment following a massive stroke.The physician has ordered tests to determine brain death.The nurse understands that criteria for brain death include

When addressing an ethical dilemma,contextual,physiological,and personal factors of the situation must be considered.Which of the following is an example of a personal factor?

A nurse caring for a patient with neurological impairment often must use painful stimuli to elicit the patient's response.The nurse uses subtle measures of painful stimuli,such as nailbed pressure.She neither slaps the patient nor pinches the nipple to elicit a response to pain.In this scenario,the nurse is exemplifying the ethical principle of

The nurse is caring for a critically ill patient on mechanical ventilation.The physician identifies the need for a bronchoscopy,which requires informed consent.For the physician to obtain consent from the patient,the patient must be able to

The nurse is caring for a patient who is not responding to medical treatment.The intensivist holds a conference with the family,and a decision is made to withdraw life support.The nurse's religious beliefs are not in agreement with the withdrawal of life support.However,the nurse assists with the process to avoid confronting the charge nurse.Afterward the nurse feels guilty for "killing the patient." This scenario is likely to cause

The nurse knows that which of the following statements about organ donation is true?