CCRN Professional and Ethical Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient arrives unconscious without an advance directive and needs emergency surgery. Consent is obtained through:
- Implied consent under the emergency doctrine (Correct answer)
- A court order before proceeding
- The charge nurse's authorization
- Waiting until the patient regains consciousness
Correct answer: Implied consent under the emergency doctrine
Implied (emergency) consent permits life-saving treatment when the patient cannot consent.
Question 2: Which is the nurse's role regarding informed consent for an invasive procedure?
- Witness the signature and confirm the patient understands (Correct answer)
- Explain the surgical risks and alternatives
- Obtain consent in place of the physician
- Decide whether the patient is competent
Correct answer: Witness the signature and confirm the patient understands
The physician explains the procedure; the nurse witnesses consent and verifies understanding.
Question 3: A nurse acts as a patient advocate primarily by:
- Supporting the patient's expressed wishes and values (Correct answer)
- Making decisions on the patient's behalf
- Following physician orders without question
- Prioritizing the institution's interests
Correct answer: Supporting the patient's expressed wishes and values
Advocacy means supporting and representing the patient's own values and choices.
Question 4: Moral distress in critical care nurses most often results from:
- Knowing the right action but being constrained from taking it (Correct answer)
- Lack of clinical knowledge
- Disagreement with hospital pay scales
- Excessive overtime hours
Correct answer: Knowing the right action but being constrained from taking it
Moral distress occurs when nurses cannot act on what they believe is ethically correct.
Question 5: A patient's HIPAA rights are violated when a nurse:
- Discusses the patient's condition with a friend not involved in care (Correct answer)
- Reports communicable disease to public health authorities
- Shares information with the treating team
- Documents care in the medical record
Correct answer: Discusses the patient's condition with a friend not involved in care
Sharing protected health information with those not involved in care breaches confidentiality.
Question 6: When an ethical dilemma cannot be resolved at the bedside, the nurse should:
- Request a consultation with the ethics committee (Correct answer)
- Make the decision unilaterally
- Defer entirely to the family
- Avoid documenting the conflict
Correct answer: Request a consultation with the ethics committee
An ethics committee provides structured, multidisciplinary review of complex dilemmas.
Question 7: Fidelity as an ethical principle refers to:
- Keeping commitments and promises to the patient (Correct answer)
- Telling the truth
- Distributing resources fairly
- Avoiding harm
Correct answer: Keeping commitments and promises to the patient
Fidelity is the duty to remain faithful to commitments made to patients.
CCRN Professional and Ethical Practice 3
A patient arrives unconscious without an advance directive and needs emergency surgery.
Consent is obtained through: