MODULE 3 Flashcards
Ethical and legal aspects of palliative care nursing (10 cards)
Which of the following best describes an ethical approach to palliative nursing care in a dynamic healthcare environment?
A. Prioritising cost-effectiveness over patient preferences
B. Encouraging patients to forgo treatment to reduce healthcare burden
C. Supporting collaborative decision-making based on the patient’s values and best interests
D. Relying solely on the healthcare team to determine the best course of action
C
Explanation: Ethical palliative care involves collaboration with the patient, family, and healthcare team to respect the patient’s values, preferences, and best interests while adapting to changing circumstances.
What is the primary goal of advanced care planning in palliative nursing?
A. To ensure all patients receive the same standardised care
B. To guide medical decision-making based on patient preferences when they lose decision-making capacity
C. To allow healthcare providers to make treatment decisions without consulting the family
D. To encourage patients to refuse life-sustaining treatments
B
Explanation: Advanced care planning helps align medical decisions with the patient’s values and preferences, ensuring their wishes are respected when they are no longer able to make decisions
Which ethical principle is most relevant when a nurse respects a patient’s decision to refuse life-sustaining treatment?
A. Beneficence
B. Non-maleficence
C. Autonomy
D. Justice
C
Explanation: Autonomy refers to a patient’s right to make informed choices about their care, including the right to refuse treatment, even if the healthcare team disagrees.
A patient nearing end-of-life has an advance care directive refusing resuscitation, but their family insists on CPR. What should the nurse do?
A. Follow the advance care directive and withhold resuscitation
B. Perform CPR to satisfy the family’s wishes
C. Ignore the directive and consult hospital administration
D. Attempt to change the patient’s documented decision
A
Explanation: An advance care directive is a legally binding document that must be followed, ensuring that the patient’s previously expressed wishes are honoured.
Which of the following is a key strategy for facilitating collaborative decision-making in palliative care?
A. Making unilateral decisions to avoid conflicts
B. Encouraging open and honest communication among all stakeholders
C. Prioritising the physician’s preferences over those of the patient
D. Limiting family involvement to prevent disagreements
B
Explanation: Collaborative decision-making requires open communication among patients, families, and healthcare providers to ensure care aligns with the patient’s goals and values.
A nurse is struggling emotionally while providing end-of-life care. What is the best approach to managing these feelings?
A. Suppressing emotions to remain professional
B. Seeking support from colleagues and engaging in self-reflection
C. Avoiding palliative care cases
D. Ignoring personal values and beliefs about death
B
Explanation: Self-reflection and seeking peer support help nurses process emotions, maintain professionalism, and provide compassionate care without experiencing burnout.
In the context of palliative care, what does the term “shared decision-making” mean?
A. The nurse makes the final decision on behalf of the patient
B. The healthcare team and family decide without patient input
C. The patient, family, and healthcare team collaborate to make informed decisions
D. The physician dictates the treatment plan
C
Explanation: Shared decision-making involves meaningful discussions between the patient, their family, and healthcare professionals to align care with the patient’s values and goals.
How can a nurse support a patient’s family in making ethical decisions about end-of-life care?
A. Providing clear information about prognosis and treatment options
B. Pressuring them to follow the nurse’s personal beliefs
C. Encouraging them to make quick decisions without discussion
D. Avoiding difficult conversations about death and dying
A
Explanation: Providing accurate, compassionate information empowers families to make informed and ethical decisions aligned with the patient’s wishes.
What role do personal values and beliefs play in a nurse’s approach to end-of-life care?
A. They should dictate the care provided to all patients
B. They must be acknowledged but should not interfere with patient-centred care
C. They are more important than the patient’s preferences
D. They should be hidden to avoid emotional involvement
B
Explanation: While nurses’ values and beliefs shape their perspectives, ethical nursing care requires prioritising the patient’s wishes and maintaining professional objectivity.
A patient with advanced dementia has no advance care directive, and their family is conflicted about life-prolonging treatments. What is the nurse’s ethical responsibility?
A. Follow the most vocal family member’s wishes
B. Engage in discussions with the family and healthcare team to determine the best course of action
C. Immediately withdraw all treatments
D. Decide based on the nurse’s personal beliefs
B
Explanation: Ethical nursing care involves facilitating discussions between family members and healthcare providers to ensure decisions align with the patient’s best interests and presumed wishes.
