A mother and a daughter are taken to the emergency room for injuries suffered in a car accident
When the mother is taken to surgery, the nurse tells her that her daughter will be fine,
even though she does not know the exact extent of the daughter's injuries. This nurse's actions
may have been guided by which of the following ethical theories?
A) Social equity and justice
B) Natural law
C) Deontology
D) Utilitarianism
Ans: D
A central premise of utilitarianism is that an act is right when it is useful in bringing
about a desirable or good end. In this case, instilling hope in the mother may alleviate her stress
before surgery. A deontological view would condemn the nurse's actions, since deontology
proposes that ethical decision-making is based on moral rules and unchanging principles (i.e.
that lying is categorically wrong). Social equity and natural law are not reflected in the nurse's
decision to temporarily deceive the patient.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following is not a characteristic of critical thinking?
a. dependent thinking c. intellectual humility b. proactive d. creative
A patient tells the nurse that he thought that he would feel better since it has been a few days after the radiation exposure, but he still feels weak and tired. Which of the following is the nurse's best response to this patient?
1. "The weak and tired feelings will continue for a while longer.". 2. "This means that your body is healing.". 3. "After your strength returns, you might have diarrhea.". 4. "Increasing your activity will help with the feelings of fatigue.".
Which of the following is a dietary supplement?
A. an analgesic 2 B. a weight-loss aid C. an herbal preparation D. a cough and cold remedy
The nurse is reviewing the results of a patient's pulmonary function studies. Which result indicates the patient's tidal volume is within normal limits?
a. 100 to 200 mL b. 400 to 600 mL c. 800 to 1100 mL d. 1500 to 2000 mL