Professional Practice Issues Flashcards
7 cards from real CHPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Professional Practice Issues flashcards as text
A hospice nurse disagrees with a physician's order for a higher opioid dose than the nurse believes is appropriate. What is the most appropriate first action?
Answer: Contact the physician to discuss the clinical rationale
The nurse should first communicate directly with the prescriber to clarify the rationale, which supports safe collaborative practice.
Which ethical principle is most directly applied when a patient with decision-making capacity refuses a recommended comfort intervention?
Answer: Autonomy
Autonomy grants competent patients the right to accept or refuse any treatment or intervention.
A hospice nurse is caring for a patient whose family insists on continuing aggressive treatments. The patient previously expressed a wish for comfort-focused care. What should guide the nurse's advocacy?
Answer: The patient's documented advance directives and prior expressed wishes
The patient's own advance directives and prior wishes are the primary guide for advocacy when the patient cannot speak for themselves.
What is the primary purpose of a palliative care interdisciplinary team meeting?
Answer: To coordinate holistic care and update the plan of care
IDT meetings facilitate coordinated, patient-centered care planning across all disciplines.
A CHPN nurse is asked by a hospice administrator to falsify documentation to support continued Medicare eligibility. The correct response is to:
Answer: Refuse and report the request through appropriate channels
Falsifying Medicare documentation is fraud; the nurse must refuse and report it through compliance or legal channels.
Which document is most important for a nurse to review when determining a patient's resuscitation preferences in the home hospice setting?
Answer: The out-of-hospital DNR or POLST/MOLST form
An out-of-hospital DNR or POLST/MOLST is the legally recognized document that guides EMS and home care providers.
A hospice nurse experiences moral distress after being unable to provide adequate pain control due to institutional barriers. The most constructive response is to:
Answer: Bring the issue to the IDT and quality improvement process
Raising systemic barriers through IDT and QI channels allows for sustainable change while supporting professional integrity.