Professional and Ethical Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real RPN 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 and Ethical Practice flashcards as text
A client refuses a recommended blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. What is the RPN's primary ethical obligation?
Answer: Document the refusal and respect the client's autonomous decision
Respecting client autonomy means honoring informed refusals even when the RPN disagrees with the decision.
An RPN suspects a colleague is diverting controlled substances. What is the most appropriate first action?
Answer: Report the suspicion to the nurse manager or appropriate authority
RPN professional standards require reporting concerns about colleague conduct that may endanger patients to the appropriate authority promptly.
Which principle is violated when an RPN shares a client's HIV status with the client's employer without consent?
Answer: Confidentiality
Disclosing protected health information without authorization violates the client's right to confidentiality.
An RPN documents an intervention that was not performed. This action is best described as:
Answer: Falsification of records
Charting care that was not given constitutes falsification of records, a serious breach of professional and legal standards.
A client with dementia is unable to provide informed consent for a procedure. Who has the legal authority to consent on the client's behalf in most US states?
Answer: A legally designated surrogate decision-maker or healthcare proxy
When a client lacks decision-making capacity, a legally designated surrogate or healthcare proxy provides substitute consent.
The ethical principle of 'justice' in nursing practice primarily refers to:
Answer: Fair and equitable distribution of care and resources
Justice requires that nursing care be provided fairly without discrimination based on personal characteristics.
An RPN receives a gift of significant monetary value from a grateful client's family. The most appropriate response is to:
Answer: Politely decline and explain professional boundaries around gifts
Accepting significant gifts can compromise professional boundaries and the therapeutic relationship; declining is the ethically appropriate action.
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