The nurse educator asks the nursing student about the difference in st

QUESTION

The nurse educator asks the nursing student about the difference in standards between codes of ethics and legal standards. Which response by the student indicates the greatest level of understanding?

1. “Standards in codes of ethics and legal standards are generally the same.”
2. “Codes of ethics are much higher standards than legal standards.”
3. “Legal standards are much higher than codes of ethics standards.”
4. “Codes of ethics are usually higher, and can be no lower, than legal standards.”

ANSWER:

Correct Answer: 4

Codes of ethics have standards that are generally higher than those of legal standards, and they can never be less that the legal standards of the profession. The standards are not the same, but are generally similar, so it is neither correct to state that codes of ethics are much higher than legal standards nor the reverse.