MSN Health Policy Ethics and Professional Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid eligibility to adults earning up to what percentage of the federal poverty level?
- 100%
- 138% (Correct answer)
- 200%
- 250%
Correct answer: 138%
The ACA expanded Medicaid to individuals and families earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level, significantly increasing coverage among low-income adults.
Question 2: Which ethical framework evaluates the morality of an action based solely on its consequences?
- Deontology
- Virtue ethics
- Consequentialism (utilitarianism) (Correct answer)
- Natural law theory
Correct answer: Consequentialism (utilitarianism)
Consequentialist ethics (including utilitarianism) judges actions by their outcomes, holding that the right action produces the greatest good for the greatest number.
Question 3: The Nurse Practice Act is most accurately described as which type of regulation?
- Federal law administered by CMS
- State statute defining the scope of nursing practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for discipline (Correct answer)
- A voluntary professional standard set by the ANA
- An accreditation requirement set by the Joint Commission
Correct answer: State statute defining the scope of nursing practice, licensure requirements, and grounds for discipline
Each US state has its own Nurse Practice Act, a statutory law that defines legal scope of practice, education requirements, and the disciplinary authority of the state board of nursing.
Question 4: Which principle of biomedical ethics requires that healthcare providers treat patients with equal, fair distribution of resources and care?
- Autonomy
- Non-maleficence
- Beneficence
- Justice (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Justice
Justice in biomedical ethics obligates fair distribution of healthcare resources, benefits, and burdens across individuals and populations without discrimination.
Question 5: The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospitals to do which of the following?
- Accept all patients regardless of ability to pay for elective procedures
- Provide a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to anyone presenting to an ED regardless of ability to pay (Correct answer)
- Offer free inpatient care to uninsured patients
- Report all ED visits to CMS within 24 hours
Correct answer: Provide a medical screening examination and stabilizing treatment to anyone presenting to an ED regardless of ability to pay
EMTALA mandates that Medicare-participating hospitals screen and stabilize any patient who presents to the emergency department, prohibiting patient dumping based on insurance status.
Question 6: Which professional organization publishes the Code of Ethics for Nurses in the United States?
- National League for Nursing (NLN)
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
- American Nurses Association (ANA) (Correct answer)
- Sigma Theta Tau International
Correct answer: American Nurses Association (ANA)
The American Nurses Association publishes and periodically revises the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, which serves as the ethical framework for the profession.
MSN Health Policy Ethics and Professional Standards 1
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded Medicaid eligibility to adults earning up to what percentage of the federal poverty level?