CCRN - Review Professional and Ethical Practice Questions and Answers

Question 1

An alert and competent patient with end-stage cancer has a valid advance directive that explicitly refuses mechanical ventilation.
The patient develops acute respiratory distress, and their panicked family insists the medical team "do everything possible." What is the nurse's primary ethical responsibility in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Advocate for the patient's wishes as stated in the advance directive and facilitate a discussion with the family and medical team.

Answer

Ask the physician to sedate the patient to reduce their anxiety and the family's distress.

Answer

Initiate mechanical ventilation immediately to stabilize the patient as per the family's wishes.

Answer

Request an immediate ethics committee consultation before any further action is taken.

Question 2

A critical care nurse ensures that a patient fully understands the risks, benefits, and alternatives to a proposed invasive procedure before the patient signs the consent form. This action primarily demonstrates which ethical principle?

Accepted Answer

Autonomy

Answer

Justice

Answer

Beneficence

Answer

Non-maleficence

Question 3

A nurse in the ICU notices that a colleague has become irritable, has had multiple charting errors, and frequently volunteers to administer narcotics for other nurses' patients. The nurse suspects the colleague may be diverting medications. What is the nurse's most appropriate and professional initial action?

Accepted Answer

Report the specific observations and concerns to the nurse manager or charge nurse according to facility policy.

Answer

Confront the colleague directly during their next shift and demand an explanation.

Answer

Begin an independent investigation by tracking the colleague's medication withdrawals to gather more proof.

Answer

Warn other nurses on the unit to be cautious of the colleague in question.

Question 4

A nurse is caring for a patient with a catastrophic brain injury. The medical team has determined that further treatment is futile, but the family insists on continuing all life-sustaining measures. The nurse feels powerless and emotionally conflicted by providing care they believe is not in the patient's best interest. This feeling is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Moral distress

Answer

Burnout

Answer

Compassion fatigue

Answer

Anxiety disorder

Question 5

During a pandemic, an ICU has only one available ventilator. Two patients require mechanical ventilation: a 28-year-old with a high probability of survival and a 85-year-old with multiple comorbidities and a very poor prognosis. Which ethical principle most directly guides the difficult decision to allocate the ventilator to the patient with the higher chance of survival?

Accepted Answer

Justice

Answer

Fidelity

Answer

Veracity

Answer

Autonomy

Question 6

A competent adult patient signs a legal document that names a specific person to make healthcare decisions on their behalf ONLY if they become incapacitated and are unable to speak for themselves. This document is known as a:

Accepted Answer

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

Answer

Living Will

Answer

Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)

Answer

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order