Community Health & Ethics Flashcards

A nurse discovers that a colleague has made a medication error but has not reported it. What should the nurse do?

Answer: Encourage the colleague to report the error and report it themselves if the colleague refuses

Patient safety requires that medication errors be reported; if a colleague refuses, the nurse has a professional and ethical duty to report the incident through proper channels.

Which model of community nursing focuses on the family as the unit of care rather than the individual?

Answer: Family-centred care model

Family-centred care recognises that family dynamics, support, and health behaviours profoundly affect individual health outcomes, making the family the focus of nursing assessment and intervention.

What does the principle of 'justice' mean in nursing ethics?

Answer: Distributing healthcare resources and treatment fairly and equitably

Justice in nursing ethics requires fair, equitable distribution of care and resources, ensuring all patients receive treatment based on need rather than social status or ability to pay.

Which vaccination is part of the UAE national immunisation schedule for newborns at birth?

Answer: Hepatitis B vaccine (first dose)

The UAE national immunisation schedule requires the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine to be administered at birth to prevent vertical (mother-to-child) transmission.

A patient refuses a recommended blood transfusion for religious reasons while fully conscious and informed. What is the nurse's ethical obligation?

Answer: Respect the patient's autonomous decision and document it, while ensuring they understand the consequences

Autonomy is a fundamental ethical principle; a competent, informed patient has the right to refuse treatment, and the nurse must document the refusal and continue providing alternative supportive care.

Which measure is most effective in preventing the spread of communicable diseases in the community?

Answer: Vaccination programmes and public health education

Vaccination creates population immunity (herd immunity) and public health education promotes hygiene and behaviour change, making these the most effective tools for preventing communicable disease spread.