NCLEX Ethics and Values Exam Practice Questions and Answers

150 Questions and Answers

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Ethics and values are the foundation of professional nursing practice, guiding clinical decisions, communication, and patient advocacy. This NCLEX Ethics and Values Exam Practice Questions and Answers resource is designed to help you master the principles that shape ethical, patient-centered care—an essential area tested on the NCLEX.

This exam prep tool provides comprehensive coverage of core ethical concepts, including autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, fidelity, and veracity. Through practical, scenario-based questions, you’ll explore how these values influence nursing responsibilities in complex healthcare environments.

Learn how to identify and respond to ethical dilemmas, balance competing interests, and respect cultural, spiritual, and individual beliefs while honoring professional codes of conduct. You’ll also review the nurse’s role in ethical decision-making, including recognizing moral distress, collaborating with ethics committees, and advocating for patients’ rights and dignity.

Key topics include confidentiality, informed consent, end-of-life decisions, patient refusal of care, resource allocation, and navigating conflicts between patient preferences and medical recommendations. The questions in this resource are crafted to enhance your ability to think critically, apply ethical frameworks, and make sound judgments that align with legal and professional standards.

This practice material also emphasizes the importance of integrity, accountability, compassion, and respect—qualities that are vital in both everyday practice and high-stakes clinical situations. You’ll be equipped to handle sensitive conversations, maintain professional boundaries, and uphold ethical standards in diverse care settings, including acute care, community health, and long-term care.

Whether you’re preparing for the NCLEX or strengthening your knowledge of ethical practice, these NCLEX Ethics and Values Exam Practice Questions and Answers provide a thoughtful, exam-relevant approach to mastering this crucial content area. Strengthen your decision-making skills, promote ethical care, and elevate your professional competence as a nurse.

Sample Questions and Answers

  • Which of the following is an example of ethical behavior in nursing?
  • a) Accepting gifts from patients
  • b) Sharing confidential patient information
  • c) Providing competent and compassionate care
  • d) Ignoring a patient’s request for pain medication

Answer: c) Providing competent and compassionate care

  • Which ethical principle involves respecting a patient’s right to make their own healthcare decisions?
  • a) Beneficence
  • b) Non-maleficence
  • c) Autonomy
  • d) Justice

Answer: c) Autonomy

  • A nurse is caring for a patient who refuses treatment. The nurse should:
  • a) Ignore the refusal and proceed with treatment
  • b) Persuade the patient to accept treatment
  • c) Respect the patient’s decision and document it
  • d) Force the treatment on the patient for their own good

Answer: c) Respect the patient’s decision and document it

  • Which of the following actions demonstrates non-maleficence?
  • a) Ensuring that all patients are treated equally
  • b) Providing pain medication to a patient in distress
  • c) Preventing harm by following safe procedures
  • d) Explaining procedures to a patient before starting treatment

Answer: c) Preventing harm by following safe procedures

  • A nurse witnesses a coworker falsifying a patient’s chart. According to the ethical principle of justice, the nurse should:
  • a) Ignore the situation and continue working
  • b) Report the incident to the appropriate authority
  • c) Confront the coworker privately
  • d) Protect the coworker’s privacy and not report it

Answer: b) Report the incident to the appropriate authority

  • Which of the following actions best demonstrates the ethical principle of fidelity?
  • a) Keeping a patient’s information confidential
  • b) Advocating for patient rights and interests
  • c) Providing care to a patient without discrimination
  • d) Following through on promises made to the patient

Answer: d) Following through on promises made to the patient

  • What is the primary focus of ethics in nursing?
  • a) The nurse’s own beliefs
  • b) The employer’s policies
  • c) The patient’s well-being and rights
  • d) The nurse’s work schedule

Answer: c) The patient’s well-being and rights

  • A nurse notices a colleague administering medication to the wrong patient. What is the nurse’s ethical responsibility?
  • a) Ignore the error and continue with their duties
  • b) Report the error to the supervisor immediately
  • c) Let the patient handle the situation
  • d) Discuss the situation with the colleague privately

Answer: b) Report the error to the supervisor immediately

  • A nurse is caring for a terminally ill patient who wishes to discontinue treatment. Which ethical principle is the nurse upholding by supporting the patient’s decision?
  • a) Beneficence
  • b) Autonomy
  • c) Justice
  • d) Non-maleficence

Answer: b) Autonomy

  • A nurse must act in a way that does not harm the patient. Which ethical principle does this refer to?
  • a) Justice
  • b) Beneficence
  • c) Non-maleficence
  • d) Autonomy

Answer: c) Non-maleficence

  • Which of the following is a nurse’s ethical duty regarding informed consent?
  • a) To provide detailed explanations of procedures
  • b) To ensure that the patient understands the information before consenting
  • c) To provide a brief overview of the procedure and have the patient sign
  • d) To make decisions for the patient if they seem confused

Answer: b) To ensure that the patient understands the information before consenting

  • A nurse is caring for a patient who is unable to make decisions about their care. Who is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the patient?
  • a) The nurse
  • b) The hospital administrator
  • c) The patient’s legal guardian or proxy
  • d) The attending physician

Answer: c) The patient’s legal guardian or proxy

  • Which action is an example of a nurse practicing beneficence?
  • a) Making sure a patient receives the correct medication
  • b) Administering a pain medication to alleviate suffering
  • c) Respecting a patient’s refusal of treatment
  • d) Keeping patient information confidential

Answer: b) Administering a pain medication to alleviate suffering

  • A nurse’s personal beliefs about abortion conflict with a patient’s request for the procedure. What is the nurse’s ethical obligation?
  • a) Refuse to care for the patient and inform the supervisor
  • b) Provide the patient with unbiased information and referral options
  • c) Convince the patient not to proceed with the procedure
  • d) Leave the patient’s care to another nurse without informing the team

Answer: b) Provide the patient with unbiased information and referral options

  • Which of the following is an example of a nurse demonstrating confidentiality?
  • a) Discussing a patient’s condition with family members
  • b) Sharing patient information with other nurses without consent
  • c) Discussing patient care only with authorized individuals
  • d) Posting about patient care on social media

Answer: c) Discussing patient care only with authorized individuals

  • What is the ethical principle of justice concerned with in nursing?
  • a) Respecting a patient’s privacy
  • b) Treating all patients fairly and equally
  • c) Protecting patients from harm
  • d) Ensuring patients’ autonomy in making decisions

Answer: b) Treating all patients fairly and equally

  • A nurse is caring for a patient who refuses to take prescribed medication. The nurse should:
  • a) Administer the medication by force
  • b) Discuss the patient’s reasons for refusal and offer alternatives
  • c) Ignore the refusal and continue with the treatment
  • d) Document the refusal but proceed with treatment

Answer: b) Discuss the patient’s reasons for refusal and offer alternatives

  • Which of the following is the nurse’s ethical responsibility when a patient is experiencing severe pain?
  • a) Ignore the pain and monitor vital signs
  • b) Provide pain relief after consulting the physician
  • c) Offer the patient options to manage the pain and follow the plan of care
  • d) Tell the patient to endure the pain until the doctor arrives

Answer: c) Offer the patient options to manage the pain and follow the plan of care

  • What is the nurse’s role in patient advocacy?
  • a) Making decisions for the patient
  • b) Representing the patient’s wishes and needs in healthcare decisions
  • c) Reporting all patient behavior to the doctor
  • d) Withholding treatment until the patient agrees

Answer: b) Representing the patient’s wishes and needs in healthcare decisions

  • A nurse notices that a physician is not washing their hands between patient visits. The nurse should:
  • a) Ignore the situation, as it is not their responsibility
  • b) Report the behavior to the hospital infection control department
  • c) Discuss the issue with the physician privately and ask them to improve
  • d) Wait until the next incident and then report it

Answer: b) Report the behavior to the hospital infection control department

  • Which of the following is an example of ethical dilemmas nurses may face?
  • a) Deciding when to administer a medication
  • b) Deciding whether to respect a patient’s refusal of care
  • c) Deciding how to chart a patient’s vital signs
  • d) Deciding how to assist a patient with personal hygiene

Answer: b) Deciding whether to respect a patient’s refusal of care

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