Nursing Exam Study Guide: Ethics, Pharmacology, Legal Issues, & End-of-Life Care

A set of vocabulary flashcards created from the comprehensive nursing exam study guide notes, covering ethics, pharmacology, leadership history, legal issues, and end-of-life care.

Ethics

Standards of right and wrong that influence behavior and professional decisions.

Values

Beliefs about what is important, true, or right, which influence attitudes and actions.

Morals

Personal standards concerning right and wrong, including conduct, character, and attitudes.

Code of Ethics

A professional document providing guiding principles for practice and behavior.

Autonomy

An ethical principle respecting the patient's right to make decisions (e.g., a competent patient refusing medication).

Beneficence

An ethical principle meaning to do good or act for the patient's benefit (e.g., providing measures that relieve pain).

Nonmaleficence

An ethical principle meaning to do no harm (e.g., preventing medication errors).

Justice

An ethical principle concerning fairness and equal treatment in distributing care and resources.

Veracity

An ethical principle meaning to tell the truth and give honest information.

Fidelity

An ethical principle meaning to keep promises and commitments by following through with promised care.

Futile Care

Medical interventions that are unlikely to provide benefit to the patient.

Chemical Name

The drug name that describes its exact chemical composition.

Generic Name

The name identifying the active ingredient of a medication; it is not owned by one manufacturer (e.g., acetaminophen).

Trade/Brand Name

The manufacturer's marketed name for a medication (e.g., Tylenol).

Therapeutic Classification

Categorization of a medication based on WHY it is given (e.g., antihypertensive treats high blood pressure).

Pharmacologic Classification

Categorization of a medication based on HOW it works, defined by its mechanism of action.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of what the BODY does to the DRUG, abbreviated as ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion).

Absorption

Movement of medication from its administration site into systemic circulation.

Distribution

Movement of absorbed medication to tissues, organs, and its target site of action.

Metabolism (Biotransformation)

Chemical change of a drug from its original form, occurring primarily in the liver.

Excretion

Removal of a drug or its metabolites from the body, primarily occurring through the kidneys.

Pharmacodynamics

The study of what the DRUG does to the BODY, describing its effects and mechanism of action.

Therapeutic Effect

The expected or predicted physiological response to a medication for which it is given.

Side Effect

A predictable secondary effect that occurs at a usual therapeutic dose, which may be harmless or harmful.

Adverse Effect

An unintended, undesirable, and often severe drug response that requires early recognition.

Drug Tolerance

A condition in which the body becomes less responsive to a medication over time, requiring a higher dose to achieve the same effect.

Toxicity

Harmful effects caused by excessive medication levels or drug accumulation in the body.

Precaution

A condition where a medication may still be used, but extra caution or monitoring is required.

Contraindication

A condition or circumstance in which a medication MUST NOT be given because the risk is too great.

Right Assessment

A medication administration step performed BEFORE giving a drug to assess information required to determine safety.

Right Evaluation

A medication administration step performed AFTER giving a drug to determine whether it produced its intended effect.

Clara Barton

Nursing leader who founded the American Red Cross and organized medical relief during the Civil War.

Dorothea Lynde Dix

Nursing leader who advocated for people with mental illness and improved their treatment.

Mary Mahoney

First African American professional nurse in the U.S., who advocated for equality and cultural sensitivity.

Edward T. Lyon

First male officer commissioned by the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.

Lillian Wald

Nursing pioneer who established the role of public health nursing in urban settings.

Evidence-Based Practice

Nursing practice that combines current best evidence, clinical judgment, patient needs, and policies rather than relying on tradition.

Criminal Law

Branch of law addressing acts that are illegal and against society.

Civil Law

Branch of law that includes torts and contract law.

Tort

A civil wrong involving legal rights of patients and responsibilities of nurses within the nurse-patient relationship.

Assault

An intentional tort defined as threatening to touch a person without consent.

Battery

An intentional tort defined as actually touching a person without consent.

False Imprisonment

An intentional tort defined as restraining, detaining, or restricting a person's freedom of movement without proper authorization.

Negligence

An unintentional tort that occurs when a nurse fails to follow established policies and standards of care that a reasonable nurse would follow.

Malpractice

Professional negligence that includes six required legal components: Duty, Breach of Duty, Harm/Injury, Causation, Foreseeability, and Damages.

Standard of Care

The level of care that a reasonably competent nurse is expected to provide under similar circumstances.

Informed Consent

A legal process protecting a patient's right to voluntarily agree to care or procedures after receiving adequate information.

Hospice Care

End-of-life care aimed at providing comfort and support to individuals approaching death.

Palliative Care

Supportive care provided for serious medical conditions focused primarily on pain and symptom relief.

Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief

The sequential stages of coping with grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance (D-A-B-D-A).

Advance Directives

Legal documents that state patient preferences to avoid unwanted interventions, facilitate decisions, and direct end-of-life care.

Spiritual Distress

A condition characterized by hopelessness, post-crisis withdrawal, or questioning beliefs, requiring nurse assessment and support.

Postmortem Care

Physical care performed on a body after client death, including washing, securing belongings, placing ID tags, and handling device removal.