Final Review Flashcards

Question

Which level of evidence includes an analysis and review of multiple RCTs? A. Level I B. Level II C. Level V D. Level VI

Answer 1

A - Systematic Reviews

Answer 2

D - Expert Opinion(s)

Answer 3

A, D, E, F

Answer 4

the principles that reflect the primary goals, values, and obligations of the profession

Answer 5

B, C, D A value is a belief about the worth of something, about what matters, which acts as a standard to guide one’s behavior. A value system is an organization of values in which each is ranked along a continuum of importance, often leading to a personal code of conduct. A person’s values influence beliefs about human needs, health, and illness; the practice of health behaviors; and human responses to illness. Values guide the practice of nursing care. An individual is not born with values; rather, values are formed during a lifetime from information from the environment, family, and culture.

Answer 6

D When rewarding and punishing are used to transmit values, children are rewarded for demonstrating values held by parents and punished for demonstrating unacceptable values. Through modeling, children learn what is of high or low value by observing parents, peers, and significant others. Children whose caregivers use the moralizing mode of value transmission are taught a complete value system by parents or an institution (e.g., church or school) that allows little opportunity for them to weigh different values. Those who use the laissez-faire approach to value transmission leave children to explore values on their own (no single set of values is presented as best for all) and to develop a personal value system.

Answer 7

B, F Prizing something one values involves pride, happiness, and public affirmation, such as losing weight or running a marathon. When choosing, one chooses freely from alternatives after careful consideration of the consequences of each alternative, such as quitting smoking and working fewer hours. Finally, the person who values something acts on the value by combining choice and behavior with consistency and regularity, such as joining a gym for the year and following a low-cholesterol diet faithfully.

Answer 8

D The American Association of Colleges of Nursing defines integrity as acting in accordance with an appropriate code of ethics and accepted standards of practice. Altruism is a concern for the welfare and well-being of others. Autonomy is the right to self-determination, and human dignity is respect for the inherent worth and uniqueness of individuals and populations.

Answer 9

B The American Association of Colleges of Nursing lists promoting universal access to health care as an example of social justice. Providing honest information and documenting care accurately and honestly are examples of integrity, and planning care in partnership with patients is an example of autonomy.

Answer 10

A The ability to be ethical, to make decisions, and to act in an ethically justified manner begins in childhood and develops gradually.

Answer 11

E Nonmaleficence is defined as the obligation to prevent harm. Autonomy is respect for another’s right to make decisions, beneficence obligates us to benefit the patient, justice obligates us to act fairly, and fidelity obligates us to keep our promises.

Answer 12

A The principle of autonomy obligates nurses to provide the information and support patients and their surrogates need to make decisions that advance their interests. Acting with justice means giving each person his or her due, acting with fidelity involves keeping promises to patients, and acting with nonmaleficence means avoiding doing harm to patients.

Answer 13

B Ethical distress results from knowing the right thing to do but finding it almost impossible to execute because of institutional or other constraints (in this case, the nurse fears the loss of job). Ethical uncertainty results from feeling troubled by a situation but not knowing if it is an ethical problem. Ethical dilemmas occur when the principles of bioethics justify two or more conflicting courses of action. Ethical residue is what nurses experience when they seriously compromise themselves or allow themselves to be compromised.

Answer 14

A, C, F Advocacy is the protection and support of another’s rights. Among the patients with special advocacy needs are the very young and the older adult, those who are seriously ill, and those with disabilities; this is not a comprehensive list. Effective advocacy may entail becoming politically active. Patient advocacy is the responsibility of every member of the professional caregiving team—not just nurses. Nurse advocates do not make health care decisions for their patients and residents. Instead, they facilitate patient decision making. Advocacy does not entail supporting patients in all their preferences.

Answer 15

D Criminal law concerns state and federal criminal statutes, which define criminal actions such as murder, manslaughter, criminal negligence, theft, and illegal possession of drugs. Public law regulates relationships between people and the government. Private or civil law includes laws relating to contracts, ownership of property, and the practice of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry.

Answer 16

A, D Each state has a nurse practice act that protects the public by broadly defining the legal scope of nursing practice. Practicing beyond those limits makes nurses vulnerable to charges of violating the state nurse practice act. Nurse practice acts also list the violations that can result in disciplinary actions against nurses. Clinical procedures are covered by the health care institutions themselves. Medication administration and delegation are topics covered by the board of nursing. Laws governing Medicare reimbursement are enacted through federal legislation.

Answer 17

C The person or government bringing suit against another is called the plaintiff. Appellates are courts of law, defendants are the ones being accused of a crime or tort, and attorneys are the lawyers representing both the plaintiff and defendant.

Answer 18

C Certification is the process by which a person who has met certain criteria established by a nongovernmental association is granted recognition in a specified practice area. Nursing is one of the groups operating under state laws that promote the general welfare by determining minimum standards of education through accreditation of schools of nursing. Licensure is a legal document that permits a person to offer to the public skills and knowledge in a particular jurisdiction, where such practice would otherwise be unlawful without a license. State board of approval ensures that nurses have received the proper training to practice nursing.

Answer 19

B Assault is a threat or an attempt to make bodily contact with another person without that person’s consent. Battery is an assault that is carried out. Every person is granted freedom from bodily contact by another person unless consent is granted. The Fourth Amendment gives citizens the right of privacy and the right to be left alone; a nurse who disregards these rights is guilty of invasion of privacy. Unjustified retention or prevention of the movement of another person without proper consent can constitute false imprisonment.

Answer 20

D Liability involves four elements that must be established to prove that malpractice or negligence has occurred: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. Duty refers to an obligation to use due care (what a reasonably prudent nurse would do) and is defined by the standard of care appropriate for the nurse–patient relationship. Breach of duty is the failure to meet the standard of care. Causation, the most difficult element of liability to prove, shows that the failure to meet the standard of care (breach) actually caused the injury. Damages are the actual harm or injury resulting to the patient.

Answer 21

A The nurse should not discuss the case with anyone at the facility (with the exception of the risk manager), with the plaintiff, with the plaintiff’s lawyer, with anyone testifying for the plaintiff, or with reporters. This is one of the cardinal rules for nurse defendants.

Answer 22

D Nurses are legally responsible for carrying out the orders of the health care provider in charge of a patient unless an order would lead a reasonable person to anticipate injury if it was carried out. If the nurse should have anticipated injury and did not, both the prescribing health care provider and the administering nurse are responsible for the harms to which they contributed.

Answer 23

B, C, E Incident reports are used for quality improvement and should not be used for disciplinary action against staff members. They are a means of identifying risks and are filled out by the nurse responsible for the injured party. An incident report makes facts available in case litigation occurs; in some states, incident reports may be used in court as evidence. A health care provider completes the incident form with documentation of the medical examination of the patient, employee, or visitor with an actual or potential injury. Documentation in the patient record should not include the fact that an incident report was filed.

Answer 24

B Student nurses are held to the same standard of care that would be used to evaluate the actions of a registered nurse. Student nurses are responsible for their own acts of negligence if these result in patient injury. A hospital may also be held liable for the negligence of a student nurse enrolled in a hospital-controlled program because the student is considered an employee of the hospital. Nursing instructors may share responsibility for damages in the event of patient injury if an assignment called for clinical skills beyond a student’s competency or the instructor failed to provide reasonable and prudent clinical supervision. Most nursing programs require students to carry personal professional liability insurance.

Answer 25

B, E, F Each person defines health and illness individually, based on a number of factors. Health is more than just the absence of illness; it is an active process in which a person moves toward his or her maximum potential. An illness is the response of the person to a disease.

Answer 26

A, C, D Diabetes, arthritis, and cystic fibrosis are chronic diseases because they are permanent changes caused by irreversible alterations in normal anatomy and physiology, and they require patient education along with a long period of care or support. Pneumonia, fractures, and otitis media are acute illnesses because they have a rapid onset of symptoms that last a relatively short time.

Answer 27

B, C, D, F National trends in the prevention of health disparities are focused on vulnerable populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, those living in poverty, women, children, older adults, rural and inner-city residents, and people with disabilities and special health care needs.

Answer 28

C Giving influenza injections is an example of primary health promotion and illness prevention.

Answer 29

B Stage 2: Assuming the sick role. When people assume the sick role, they define themselves as ill, seek validation of this experience from others, and give up normal activities. In stage 1: Experiencing symptoms, the first indication of an illness usually is recognizing one or more symptoms that are incompatible with one’s personal definition of health. The stage of assuming a dependent role is characterized by the patient’s decision to accept the diagnosis and follow the prescribed treatment plan. In the achieving recovery and rehabilitation role, the person gives up the dependent role and resumes normal activities and responsibilities.

Answer 30

C The physical dimension includes genetic inheritance, age, developmental level, race, and biological sex. These components strongly influence the person’s health status and health practices. A family history of breast cancer is a major risk factor.

Answer 31

B, C Tertiary health promotion and disease prevention begins after an illness is diagnosed and treated to reduce disability and to help rehabilitate patients to a maximum level of functioning. These activities include providing ROM exercises and patient teaching for residual limb care. Providing immunizations and teaching parents how to childproof their homes and use an appropriate car seat are primary health promotion activities. Providing screenings is a secondary health promotion activity.

Answer 32

A The interaction of the agent, host, and environment creates risk factors that increase the probability of disease.

Answer 33

D Both these models view health as a dynamic (constantly changing state).

Answer 34

A Good personal health enables the nurse to serve as a role model for patients and families.

Answer 35

B Maslow’s hierarchy of basic human needs is useful for establishing priorities of care.

Answer 36

B, D Physiologic needs—oxygen, water, food, elimination, temperature, sexuality, physical activity, and rest—must be met at least minimally to maintain life. Providing food and oxygen are examples of interventions to meet these needs. Preventing falls helps meet safety and security needs; providing art supplies may help meet self-actualization needs; facilitating visits from loved ones helps meet self-esteem needs; and referring a patient to a support group helps meet love and belonging needs.

Answer 37

B By carrying out careful hand hygiene and using sterile technique, nurses provide safety from infection. An example of a physiologic need is clearing a patient’s airway. Self-esteem needs may be met by allowing an older adult to talk about a past career. An example of helping meet a love and belonging need is contacting a hospitalized patient’s family to arrange a visit.

Answer 38

C, E, F Self-actualization, or reaching one’s full potential, is a process that continues throughout life. A person achieves self-actualization by focusing on problems outside oneself and using creativity as a guideline for solving problems and pursuing interests. Humans are not born with a fully developed sense of self-actualization, and self-actualization needs are not met specifically by depending on others for help. Loneliness and isolation are not always the result of unmet self-actualization needs.

Answer 39

D Although all the responses may be true, the best definition is a group of people who live together and depend on each other for physical, emotional, or financial support.

Answer 40

A, D The five major areas of family function are physical, economic, reproductive, affective and coping, and socialization. Asking who provides emotional support in times of stress assesses the affective and coping function. Assessing the breadwinner focuses on the economic function. Inquiring about having more children assesses the reproductive function, asking about family traditions assesses the socialization function, and checking the environment assesses the physical function.

Answer 41

B Inadequate childcare resources is a psychosocial risk factor. Not having access to dental care and obese family members are lifestyle risk factors. Having a family member with birth defects is a biologic risk factor.

Answer 42

D The developmental tasks of the family with older adults are to adjust to retirement and possibly to adjust to the loss of a spouse and loss of independent living. Maintaining a supportive home base and strengthening marital relationships are tasks of the family with adolescents and young adults. Coping with loss of energy and privacy is a task of the family with children.

Answer 43

C A healthy community offers access to health care services to treat illness and to promote health. A healthy community does not usually meet all the needs of its residents, but should be able to help with health issues such as nutrition, education, recreation, safety, and zoning regulations to separate residential sections from industrial ones. The age of housing is irrelevant as long as residences are maintained properly according to code.

Answer 44

A In contrast to community health nursing, which focuses on populations within a community, community-based nursing is centered on individual and family health care needs. Community-based nurses may help families in crisis and work in health care facilities, but these are not the focus of community-based nursing.

Answer 45

D, E, F A person may be a member of multiple cultural, ethnic, and racial groups at one time. Culture guides what is acceptable behavior for people in a specific group. Cultural practices and beliefs may evolve over time, but they mainly remain constant as long as they satisfy a group’s needs. The United States has become more (not less) inclusive of same-sex couples. The definition of cultural diversity includes, but is not limited to, people of varying cultures, racial and ethnic origin, religion, language, physical size, biological sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, occupational status, and geographic location. Cultural diversity, including culture, ethnicity, and race, is an integral component of both health and illness.

Answer 46

A, D Cultural imposition occurs when a hospital nurse tells a nurse’s aide that patients should not be given a choice whether or not to shower or bathe daily, and when a Catholic nurse insists that a patient diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer see the chaplain in residence. Cultural blindness occurs when a nurse treats all patients the same whether or not they come from a different culture. Culture conflict occurs when a nurse ridicules a patient by telling another nurse that Jewish diet restrictions are just a way for Jewish patients to get a special tray of their favorite foods. When a nurse refuses to respect an older adult’s ability to speak for himself or herself, or if the nurse refuses to treat a patient based on that patient’s sexual orientation, the nurse is engaging in stereotyping.

Answer 47

A, C, E, F Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and Whites are more prone to developing diabetes mellitus. African Americans are prone to hypertension, stroke, sickle cell anemia, lactose intolerance, and keloids. Asians are prone to hypertension, liver cancer, thalassemia, and lactose intolerance.

Answer 48

B The ESFT model guides providers in understanding a patient’s explanatory model (a patient’s conception of her or his illness), social and environmental factors, and fears and concerns, and also guides providers in contracting for therapeutic approaches. Asking the questions: “How does having COPD affect your lifestyle?” explores the explanatory model, “How do you get your medications?” refers to the social and environmental factor, “Are you concerned about the side effects of your medications?” addresses fears and concerns, and “Can you describe how you will take your medications?” involves therapeutic contracting.

Answer 49

A When minority groups live within a dominant group, many members lose the cultural characteristics that once made them different in a process called assimilation. Cultural imposition occurs when one person believes that everyone should conform to his or her own belief system. Culture shock occurs when a person is placed in a different culture perceived as strange, and ethnocentrism is the belief that the ideas, beliefs, and practices of one’s own cultural group are best, superior, or most preferred to those of other groups.

Answer 50

D Stereotyping is assuming that all members of a group are alike. This is not an example of cultural competence nor is the nurse imposing her culture on the patient. Clustering is not an applicable concept.

Answer 51

B The nurse should ask an interpreter for help. Many facilities have a qualified interpreter who understands the health care system and can reliably provide assistance. Using short words, talking loudly, and providing instructions in writing will not help the nurse communicate with this patient. Explaining why care can’t be provided is not an acceptable choice because the nurse is required to provide care; also, since the patient doesn’t speak English, she won’t understand what the nurse is saying.

Answer 52

C Asking patients what types of foods they eat for meals is culturally sensitive. The other questions are culturally insensitive.

Answer 53

A The nurse is trying to impose her belief that bassinets are preferable to baby slings on the African mother—in spite of the fact that African women have safely carried babies in these slings for years.

Answer 54

C In all aspects of nursing, it is important to treat each patient as an individual. This is also true in providing culturally competent care. This basic objective can be accomplished by learning the predominant language in the community, researching the patient’s culture, and recognizing the influence of family on the patient’s life.

Answer 55

A, B, C The losses experienced by the woman are actual, perceived, and psychological. Actual loss can be recognized by others as well as by the person sustaining the loss; perceived loss is experienced by the person but is intangible to others; and psychological loss is a loss that is felt mentally as opposed to physically. Anticipatory loss occurs when one grieves prior to the actual loss; physical loss is loss that is tangible and perceived by others; and maturational loss is experienced as a result of natural developmental processes.

Answer 56

A, B, F Mourning is defined as the period of acceptance of loss and grief, during which the person learns to deal with loss. It is the actions and expressions of that grief, including the symbols and ceremonies (e.g., a funeral or final celebration of life), that make up the outward expressions of grief. A diagnosis of cancer and the coroner’s pronouncing the patient’s death are not behaviors of the family during a period of mourning. Arranging for hospice care would not be an expression of mourning.

Answer 57

C Dysfunctional grief is abnormal or distorted; it may be either unresolved or inhibited. In unresolved grief, a person may have trouble expressing feelings of loss or may deny them; unresolved grief also describes a state of bereavement that extends over a lengthy period. With inhibited grief, a person suppresses feelings of grief and may instead manifest somatic (body) symptoms, such as abdominal pain or heart palpitations. Somatic grief is not a classification of grief, rather somatic symptoms are the expression of grief that may occur with inhibited grief. Anticipatory loss or grief occurs when a person displays loss and grief behaviors for a loss that has yet to take place.

Answer 58

A The patient’s statement reflects the acceptance stage of death and dying defined by Kübler-Ross.

Answer 59

B This response by the nurse validates that what the patient is saying has been heard and invites him to share more of his feelings, concerns, and fears. The other responses either deny the patient’s feelings or change the subject.

Answer 60

B Using an open-ended question allows the patient to continue talking. An open-ended question, such as, “What seems to be concerning you the most?” provides a means of encouraging communication. False reassurances are not helpful. Also, the patient’s feelings and restlessness should be addressed as soon as possible.

Answer 61

B A durable power of attorney for health care appoints an agent the person trusts to make decisions in the event of subsequent incapacity. Living wills provide specific instructions about the kinds of health care that should be provided or foregone in particular situations. A Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment form, or POLST form, is a medical order indicating a patient’s wishes regarding treatments commonly used in a medical crisis. The living will is a document whose precise purpose is to allow people to record specific instructions about the type of health care they would like to receive in particular end-of-life situations. Allow natural death on the medical record of a patient indicates the patient or surrogate has expressed a wish that there be no attempts to resuscitate the patient.

Answer 62

A The ANA Code of Ethics states that the nurse “should provide interventions to relieve pain and other symptoms in the dying patient consistent with palliative care practice standards and may not act with the sole intent to end life” (2015, p. 3). Yet, nurses may be confronted by patients who seek assistance in ending their lives and must be prepared to respond to the request: “Nurse, please help me die….”

Answer 63

A The nurse could suggest that the husband speak to the health care provider about a Comfort Measures Only order. The wife would want all aggressive treatment to be stopped at this point, and all care to be directed to a comfortable, dignified death. A Do Not Hospitalize order is often used for patients in long-term care and other residential settings who have elected not to be hospitalized for further aggressive treatment. A Do Not Resuscitate order means that no attempts are to be made to resuscitate a patient whose breathing or heart stops. A Slow Code means that calling a code and resuscitating the patient are to be delayed until these measures will be ineffectual. Many health care institutions have policies forbidding this, and a nurse could be charged with negligence in the event of a Slow Code and resulting patient death.

Answer 64

A, B, C A nurse’s role in terminal weaning is to participate in the decision-making process by offering helpful information about the benefits and burdens of continued ventilation and a description of what to expect if terminal weaning is initiated. Supporting the patient’s family and managing sedation and analgesia are critical nursing responsibilities. In some cases, competent patients decide that they wish their ventilatory support ended; more often, the surrogate decision makers for an incompetent patient determine that continued ventilatory support is futile. Because there are no guarantees how any patient will respond once removed from a ventilator, and because it is possible for the patient to breathe on his or her own and live for hours, days, and, rarely, even weeks, the family should not be told that death will occur immediately. Counseling sessions may be arranged if requested but are not mandatory to make this decision.

Answer 65

C The defining characteristics for the NANDA diagnosis Caregiver Role Strain fit the set of assessment data provided. The other diagnoses do not fit the assessment data.

Answer 66

B The nurse should not be afraid to show compassion and empathy for the dying person, including crying with the patient if it occurs. The sense of hearing is believed to be the last sense to leave the body, and many patients retain a sense of hearing almost to the moment of death; therefore, nurses should explain to the comatose patient the nursing care being given. The nurse should address caregiver role endurance by actively listening to family members. Because it is good to encourage dying patients to be as active as possible for as long as possible, it is generally not good practice to perform basic self-care measures the patient can perform simply because it is “easier” to do it this way.

Answer 67

A Because the body should be placed in normal anatomic position to avoid pooling of blood, leaving the body in a sitting position is contraindicated. The other actions are appropriate nursing responsibilities related to postmortem care.

Answer 68

D The family may want to wash the body for personal, religious, or cultural reasons and should be allowed to do so.

Answer 69

A Because this patient is competent, she has the right to refuse therapy that she finds to be disproportionately burdensome, even if this hastens her death. Neither her daughter nor her doctor has the authority to assume her decision-making responsibilities unless she asks them to do this. The ethics consult team is not a decision-making body; it can make recommendations but has no authority to order anything.

Answer 70

C When caring for a patient who is in spiritual distress, the nurse should listen to the patient first and then ask whether the patient would like to visit with a spiritual adviser. To arrange for a spiritual adviser first may not respect the wishes of the patient. A hug and false reassurances do not address the diagnosis of spiritual distress. Talking to friends or relatives may be helpful, but only if the patient desires their visits.

Answer 71

C The data point to an unmet spiritual need to experience love and belonging, given the nurse’s estrangement from her family and God after leaving the church. The other options may represent other needs this nurse has, but the data provided do not support them.

Answer 72

C Questioning how the staff can meet patients’ spiritual practices assesses spiritual needs. Asking the patient to describe spiritual practices assesses spiritual practices. Asking about concerns assesses spiritual distress, and asking about feeling at peace assesses the need for forgiveness.

Answer 73

D On the basis of his name alone, the nurse jumped to the premature and false conclusion that this patient would want a kosher diet.

Answer 74

C Patients who practice the Jehovah’s Witness faith believe blood transfusions violate God’s laws and do not allow them. The other religious groups do not restrict modern lifesaving treatment for their members.

Answer 75

D Failure to ensure that an infant baptism is performed when parents desire it may greatly increase the family’s sorrow and suffering, which is an appropriate nursing concern. Whether baptism postpones or prevents death and suffering is a religious belief that is insufficient to bind all nurses. There is no legal requirement regarding baptism, and although some nurses may believe part of their role is to ensure the salvation of the baby, this function would understandably be rejected by many.

Answer 76

A, B, D, F The nurse dietitian should ask a Buddhist if he has any diet restrictions related to the observance of holy days. Since Catholic Scientists avoid the use of pain medications, the nurse should ask a Christian Scientist who is in traction if she would like to try nonpharmacologic pain measures. A nurse administering medications to a Hindu woman avoids touching the patient’s lips. A nurse should ask a Roman Catholic woman if she would like to attend the local Mass on Sunday. The nurse is careful not to schedule treatment and procedures on Saturday for a Jewish patient due to observance of the Sabbath. The nurse would appropriately consult with the medicine man of a Native American patient and incorporates his or her suggestions into the care plan.

Answer 77

C Children learn most about their own spirituality from how their parents behave in relationship to one another, their children, others, and God (or a higher being). What parents say about God and religion, the family’s spiritual advisor, and the child’s church or religious organization are less important sources of learning.

Answer 78

D Illness may increase spiritual concerns, which many patients find difficult to express. The other options do not correspond to actual experience.

Answer 79

B Even when a nurse feels comfortable discussing spiritual concerns, the nurse should always check first with patients to determine whether they have a spiritual adviser they would like to consult. Calling the patient’s own spiritual adviser may be premature if it is a matter the nurse can handle. The other two options deny patients the right to speak privately with their spiritual adviser from the outset, if this is what they prefer.

Answer 80

A Spiritual Alienation occurs when there is a “separation from the faith community.” Spiritual Despair occurs when the patient is feeling that no one (not even God) cares. Spiritual Anxiety is manifested by a challenged belief and value system, and Spiritual Pain may occur when a patient is unable to accept the death of a loved one.

Answer 81

D Each of the four options represents an appropriate spiritual goal, but identifying spiritual supports available to this patient in the medical center demonstrates a goal to decrease her sense of isolation.

Answer 82

C The nursing intervention of exploring with the patient what, in addition to his family, has given his life meaning and purpose in the past is more likely to correct the etiology of his problem, Spiritual Pain, than any of the other nursing interventions listed.

Answer 83

A Because this patient’s nursing diagnosis is Spiritual Distress: Guilt, an evaluative statement that demonstrates diminished guilt is necessary. Only answer a directly deals with guilt.

Answer 84

C Helping Mr. Brown identify how his unforgiving feelings may be harmful to him is the only nursing intervention that directly addresses his unmet spiritual need concerning forgiveness. Assuring Mr. Brown that many parents would feel the same way or that many teenagers shoplift out of rebelliousness may make him feel better initially, but neither option addresses his need to forgive. Suggesting that Mr. Brown may not have spent enough time with his daughter is likely to make him feel guilty.