Free Nursing Ethics MCQs with Answers
50 Nursing Ethics MCQs from Nursing Management and Ethics, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
Nursing ethics examines autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice, fidelity, veracity, confidentiality and respect for dignity. It covers informed consent, patient advocacy, privacy, refusal of treatment, end-of-life decisions and ethical dilemmas, while distinguishing ethical duties from legal requirements and personal beliefs.
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50 questions · page 1 of 3
- A. Beneficence
- B. Autonomy
- C. Justice
- D. Fidelity
Explanation: Autonomy means the patient has the right to make voluntary decisions about personal care after receiving understandable information.
Correct answer: Autonomy- A. Ask the family to sign consent instead
- B. Respect the refusal and inform the healthcare provider
- C. Administer the transfusion while the patient is unaware
- D. Tell the patient that refusal is not permitted
Explanation: A competent patient may refuse treatment, even when the refusal may lead to serious harm.
Correct answer: Respect the refusal and inform the healthcare provider- A. Giving a complete and truthful explanation of a procedure
- B. Keeping a promise to return with prescribed medication
- C. Distributing limited supplies equally among patients
- D. Preventing an avoidable injury during care
Explanation: Veracity is the duty to communicate truthfully and avoid deliberately misleading the patient.
Correct answer: Giving a complete and truthful explanation of a procedure- A. Justice
- B. Confidentiality
- C. Beneficence
- D. Accountability
Explanation: Confidentiality requires protecting private patient information from people who are not involved in the patient's care.
Correct answer: Confidentiality- A. Share it because relatives need to know
- B. Respect the request and maintain privacy
- C. Ask the relatives to obtain the information directly
- D. Tell the patient that family privacy is not possible
Explanation: The patient's expressed preference about disclosure should be respected when the patient has decision-making capacity.
Correct answer: Respect the request and maintain privacy- A. Give the medication because the prescription is signed
- B. Withhold all medicines for the rest of the shift
- C. Pause the dose and clarify the prescription promptly
- D. Ask another patient whether the dose seems correct
Explanation: Non-maleficence means avoiding preventable harm. The nurse should hold the questionable dose temporarily, assess the patient, and clarify…
Correct answer: Pause the dose and clarify the prescription promptly- A. Give it to the patient with the wealthier family
- B. Give it to the patient who arrived with more visitors
- C. Use consistent clinical criteria for allocation
- D. Give it to the patient who complains more loudly
Explanation: Justice requires fair and consistent treatment without discrimination based on wealth, social influence, or personal preference.
Correct answer: Use consistent clinical criteria for allocation- A. Fidelity
- B. Autonomy
- C. Veracity
- D. Justice
Explanation: Fidelity means being faithful to professional commitments and keeping reasonable promises made to patients.
Correct answer: Fidelity- A. Change the subject to reduce the patient's worry
- B. Explain that the family can decide everything
- C. Assess what the patient understands and notify the provider
- D. Tell the patient not to ask about an upsetting diagnosis
Explanation: The nurse should assess the patient's understanding, provide information within the nursing role, and request further discussion with the…
Correct answer: Assess what the patient understands and notify the provider- A. Follow the family's request without discussion
- B. Give false reassurance to protect the patient
- C. Support truthful communication and the patient's preferences
- D. Disclose all information to visitors without permission
Explanation: A patient with capacity has the right to receive truthful information and decide who may receive it.
Correct answer: Support truthful communication and the patient's preferences- A. Ask the family to persuade the patient to accept surgery
- B. Explore the concerns and inform the healthcare team
- C. Tell the patient that refusal could cause death
- D. Arrange surgery because the treatment is medically necessary
Explanation: The nurse should explore the patient's reasons, provide support and communicate the refusal to the healthcare team.
Correct answer: Explore the concerns and inform the healthcare team- A. Ask an adult child to translate the consent discussion
- B. Use a trained medical interpreter for the discussion
- C. Give the patient an English consent form to read
- D. Ask another patient who speaks both languages to translate
Explanation: A trained medical interpreter helps preserve accurate, private and voluntary communication.
Correct answer: Use a trained medical interpreter for the discussion- A. Read the record to identify the responsible nurse
- B. Close or secure the record and inform the responsible staff
- C. Take a photograph to document the privacy concern
- D. Leave it open because no person is viewing it
Explanation: The nurse should immediately secure the unattended record to reduce unauthorized access, then report the incident according to facility…
Correct answer: Close or secure the record and inform the responsible staff- A. Agree because confidentiality always prevents disclosure
- B. Promise secrecy and document only the patient's request
- C. Explain that the error must be reported for patient safety
- D. Tell the patient's relatives before informing the healthcare team
Explanation: The nurse should explain that a medication error must be reported promptly through the appropriate clinical and safety channels.
Correct answer: Explain that the error must be reported for patient safety- A. Give priority to the relative to preserve family trust
- B. Use transparent clinical criteria applied to every patient
- C. Choose the patient who complains most loudly
- D. Ask staff members to select the most sympathetic patient
Explanation: Justice requires fair and consistent allocation of limited healthcare resources using relevant clinical criteria.
Correct answer: Use transparent clinical criteria applied to every patient- A. Follow the valid order and activate the prescribed response
- B. Begin resuscitation until the family member becomes calm
- C. Ask the family member to sign permission for resuscitation
- D. Delay action while waiting for the attending physician
Explanation: The nurse follows the valid advance decision or do-not-resuscitate order and the facility's emergency policy.
Correct answer: Follow the valid order and activate the prescribed response- A. Refuse because personal beliefs must not be discussed
- B. Tell the patient that prayer has no place in healthcare
- C. Respectfully support the request or arrange suitable spiritual support
- D. Persuade the patient to follow the nurse's own beliefs
Explanation: Respect for dignity includes supporting a patient's spiritual needs without imposing the nurse's own beliefs.
Correct answer: Respectfully support the request or arrange suitable spiritual support- A. Ignore it because the colleague may be under stress
- B. Discuss the patient's complaint with visitors first
- C. Protect the patient and report the conduct through proper channels
- D. Post details about the incident on a staff messaging group
Explanation: Advocacy and respect for dignity require the nurse to protect the patient and report suspected mistreatment according to policy.
Correct answer: Protect the patient and report the conduct through proper channels- A. A nurse may deny care that conflicts with personal beliefs
- B. A nurse's preference determines what treatment a patient receives
- C. A nurse provides respectful care while managing personal bias
- D. A nurse may disclose patient information to defend personal values
Explanation: Professional ethics requires respectful, non-discriminatory care even when a patient's choices differ from the nurse's beliefs.
Correct answer: A nurse provides respectful care while managing personal bias- A. Justice, by treating all patients identically
- B. Beneficence, by promoting the patient's welfare
- C. Fidelity, by keeping a professional promise
- D. Veracity, by giving complete information
Explanation: Beneficence means acting to promote the patient's well-being and benefit.
Correct answer: Beneficence, by promoting the patient's welfareNursing Ethics MCQs: common questions
Are these Nursing Ethics MCQs free?
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How many Nursing Ethics MCQs are on this page?
There are 50 Nursing Ethics MCQs in the Nursing Management and Ethics bank, shown ten to a page with the correct answer and an explanation on each.
Does every Nursing Ethics MCQ have an explanation?
Yes. Each Nursing Ethics question shows the correct option and a written explanation of why it is correct, so a wrong answer teaches you something rather than just being marked wrong.
Can I take a timed Nursing Ethics test?
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