Ethical and Legal Standards Flashcards

The bioethical principle of justice in healthcare resource allocation primarily requires that:

Answer: Resources are distributed fairly based on need and established criteria

Justice requires fair, equitable distribution of healthcare resources according to established, non-discriminatory criteria and patient need.

A staff nurse reports to the ANM that they witnessed a physician alter a patient's medical record after an adverse event. The ANM's priority action is to:

Answer: Document the report and escalate to the chain of command and risk management

Falsification of medical records is fraud and a serious legal violation requiring immediate escalation to risk management and administration through proper channels.

Which of the following best describes 'informed consent' in clinical practice?

Answer: The patient receives, understands, and voluntarily agrees to treatment after receiving adequate information

True informed consent requires disclosure of information, patient comprehension, voluntariness, and capacity — a signature alone does not constitute informed consent.

An ANM is asked by a hospital administrator to manipulate quality data before submitting it to accreditation bodies. The ANM should:

Answer: Refuse and report the request through appropriate compliance channels

Falsifying accreditation data is fraud and an ethical violation; the ANM must refuse and report through compliance or whistleblower channels.

Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), hospitals with emergency departments are required to:

Answer: Screen and stabilize all patients regardless of ability to pay

EMTALA mandates that hospitals provide a medical screening examination and necessary stabilizing treatment to anyone presenting to the emergency department regardless of payment status.

A patient discloses during assessment that they plan to harm a specific coworker upon discharge. The nurse manager's legal and ethical obligation includes:

Answer: Notify the identified potential victim and appropriate authorities per Tarasoff duty

The Tarasoff duty-to-warn doctrine requires clinicians to warn identifiable potential victims and notify authorities when a credible threat of harm is disclosed.

What is the primary purpose of a hospital's ethics committee in clinical practice?

Answer: To provide consultation and recommendations on ethically complex clinical situations

Ethics committees serve a consultative and educational role, offering guidance on morally complex cases without replacing the decision-making authority of patients, families, and clinicians.