Chapter 11: Perspectives on the Rights of Nurses Keatings: Ethical & Legal Issues in Canadian Nursing, 4th Edition MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. Which of the following is an example of a conscientious objection? a. A nurse refuses to care for a homosexual patient. b. A nurse refuses to care for a patient with cocaine addiction. c. A nurse refuses to assist in an abortion. d. A nurse refuses to care for patients of the opposite sex. ANS: C Feedback A
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Incorrect—This is not an example of a conscientious objection. Refusing to care for a patient on the basis of sexual orientation would be considered discrimination and contradict the ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence and of the nurse’s professional duties and responsibilities. Incorrect—This is not an example of a conscientious objection. Refusing to care for a patient on the basis of the patient’s behaviour would contradict the ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence and of the nurse’s professional duties and responsibilities. Correct! This would be considered a conscientious objection. As long as the procedure is not an emergency, the nurse does not have to participate in a procedure or provide care that the nurse finds objectionable on moral or religious grounds. To avoid such situations, it is important that the nurse makes his or her moral or religious position known to the employer in advance. However, the nurse cannot refuse to care for a patient who has had an abortion. Incorrect—This is not an example of a conscientious objection. Refusing to care for a patient on the basis of gender would be considered discrimination and contradict the ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence and of the nurse’s professional duties and responsibilities.
DIF: Cognitive level: Synthesis 2. Is it acceptable for a nurse to refuse to care for a patient with a highly contagious illness,
such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)? a. It is acceptable because the nurse might become infected and could then pass the infection on to her family. b. It is not acceptable because the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses states that in a natural or human-made disaster, nurses have a duty to provide care to all patients. c. It is acceptable if appropriate safety precautions are not in place. d. It is not acceptable because the principle of justice dictates that a patient with an infectious disease deserves the same care as everyone else. ANS: C Feedback
