CCRN Plan

Professional Caring and Ethical Practice: practice questions

4 original questions · 4 editor-approved · every choice explained.

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Blueprint-mapped questions with full rationales for every choice.

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Professional Caring and Ethical PracticeDifficulty 3/5

A patient with decision-making capacity asks directly about their prognosis, while the family has asked the team not to discuss it. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

  1. AHonour the patient’s right to information and explore the family’s concerns
  2. BTell the patient the family has forbidden the discussion so they understand the delay
  3. CDocument the family's request and avoid the topic during nursing care
  4. DFollow the family's request and redirect the patient's questions to the physician
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Advocacy and moral agency direct the nurse to support the patient's right to information while addressing the family's fear, using the interprofessional team and, where needed, ethics consultation. Capacity belongs to the patient, not the family.

  • D — Deferring indefinitely subordinates the patient's rights to the family's preference.
  • B — Shifting responsibility to the family damages trust and does not answer the patient.
  • C — Silent avoidance abandons the patient's expressed need.
Professional Caring and Ethical PracticeDifficulty 2/5

A nurse recognises deterioration that the primary team has not acted on after two escalations. Which Synergy Model characteristic best describes using the rapid response team and chain of command?

  1. AFacilitation of learning, because the team is being taught to recognise deterioration
  2. BSystems thinking, because the nurse uses the wider system for the patient
  3. CResponse to diversity, because different team members hold different views
  4. DClinical inquiry, because the nurse is questioning the accuracy of the assessment
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. Systems thinking is the ability to recognise and use the resources of the system — rapid response, chain of command, ethics or palliative care — on the patient's behalf. It is the characteristic being exercised when escalation is needed.

  • A — Facilitation of learning concerns education of patients, families and staff.
  • C — Response to diversity concerns cultural and individual differences in care.
  • D — Clinical inquiry concerns evidence and practice change rather than escalation.
Professional Caring and Ethical PracticeDifficulty 3/5

A nurse notices that unit practice for a common procedure differs from a recently published guideline. Which action best reflects clinical inquiry?

  1. AReport the unit to the regulator for failing to follow published guidance
  2. BContinue the current unit practice because it is the established local standard
  3. CBring the evidence to the practice council and propose an evaluated change
  4. DChange personal practice immediately and quietly without informing the team
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. Clinical inquiry means questioning practice and using evidence to drive change through the appropriate structures, with evaluation of the outcome. Unilateral change creates variation, and no regulatory breach has been described.

  • B — Defaulting to local habit is the opposite of inquiry.
  • D — Unilateral silent change increases practice variation and risk.
  • A — Regulatory reporting is disproportionate to a guideline gap.
Professional Caring and Ethical PracticeDifficulty 2/5

During a resuscitation, a family member asks to remain in the room. What does the evidence-based caring-practices position support?

  1. AAllowing presence only if the physician leading the resuscitation agrees to it
  2. BPermitting presence only after the patient has been stabilised and is responsive
  3. CRemoving the family to protect them from distress and keep the room clear
  4. DOffer family presence with a staff member assigned to support them
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. Family presence during resuscitation is supported when the family is given the choice and a designated staff member is assigned to support and explain. Blanket exclusion is not the evidence-based default.

  • C — Routine exclusion is not supported by the evidence on family presence.
  • A — A single clinician's preference is not the standard; policy and support structures are.
  • B — Waiting until stabilisation removes the option entirely for the families it most affects.

Primary references

  1. CCRN Exam Handbook — Direct Care (July 2026) — AACN Certification Corporation · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
  2. AACN Synergy Model for Patient Care (in the CCRN Exam Handbook) — AACN Certification Corporation · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22