Contemporary Ethical Issues in Nursing

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Step-by-step rationale for why answer A is correct: 1. Federal legislation such as the Affordable Care Act has expanded Medicaid coverage and provided subsidies for health insurance. 2. This legislation has helped reduce the number of minorities lacking health insurance. 3. Consequently, fewer minorities than members of the general population now lack health insurance. 4. Therefore, the statement that federal legislation has resulted in fewer minorities lacking health insurance is true. Summary of why other choices are incorrect: B. This choice incorrectly attributes the lack of seeking health care by minorities solely to higher costs and lower wages, overlooking the impact of legislation. C. This choice makes a sweeping generalization about Mexican Americans without considering the broader context of health care access for minorities. D. This choice relies on stereotypes about Asians and does not take into account the complexities of the health care system and insurance coverage.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: letters of commendation. Nursing professionals typically include letters of commendation in their portfolios to showcase their achievements, skills, and positive feedback from colleagues or supervisors. This demonstrates their competence and professionalism. Family pictures (A) and high school achievements (D) are not relevant to a nursing portfolio. Articles describing lack of quality in healthcare (C) could reflect negatively on the professional and are not typically included in a portfolio meant to highlight accomplishments.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: applying productivity metric. The nurse manager is calculating the ratio of direct nursing care hours to total hours worked, which is a productivity metric. This metric helps assess the efficiency of the nursing staff in delivering care. Developing the capital budget (A) involves planning for long-term investments, not daily staffing calculations. Monitoring the labor budget (C) involves tracking expenses related to staff salaries and benefits, but not necessarily productivity metrics. Incremental budgeting processes (D) refer to budgeting based on past budgets with incremental changes, not specific productivity metrics. Therefore, the nurse manager is primarily involved in applying a productivity metric to assess nursing staff efficiency.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: patient-centered care. Patient-centered care involves respecting and responding to individual patient preferences, needs, and values. In this scenario, the nurse and dietitian are adjusting the patient's meals to accommodate cultural practices, showing a commitment to providing care that is respectful and responsive to the patient's cultural beliefs. This approach promotes better patient outcomes and satisfaction. Summary of incorrect choices: A: a sentinel event - This refers to a serious, preventable adverse event, which does not apply in this situation. B: an adverse event - This typically refers to harm caused by medical care, which is not the case here. D: the communication technique of "call-out" - This refers to a technique used in healthcare to alert team members to unsafe situations, which is not relevant to the scenario provided.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Correct Answer: A - Negligence Rationale: 1. Negligence is the failure to provide the standard of care resulting in harm to the patient. 2. The nurse failed to report a significant change in the patient's condition, breaching the duty of care. 3. The increase in blood pressure could lead to serious complications, indicating the severity of negligence. Summary: B: Assault - Involves intentional threat or harm, not applicable in this scenario. C: Defamation of character - Involves false statements damaging reputation, not relevant in the context of patient care. D: Tort - A broader legal term encompassing various civil wrongs, but negligence is a specific type of tort applicable here.