ch.7 legal dimension of nursing practice

A physician is called to see a client with angina. During the visit the physician advises the nurse to decrease the dosage of atenolol to 12.5 mg. However, because the physician is late for another visit, the physician requests that the nurse write down the order for the physician. What should be the appropriate nursing action in this situation? a. The nurse should ask the physician to come back and write the order. b. The nurse should write the order and implement it. c. The nurse should inform the client of the change in medication. d. The nurse should remind the physician later to write the work order.

a. The nurse should ask the physician to come back and write the order.

A nurse fails to communicate a change in the client's condition to the physician. Which element related to proving malpractice has been met? a. Duty b. Breach of duty c. Proximate cause d. Damages

b. Breach of duty

Nurses complete incident reports as dictated by the agency protocol. What is the primary reason nurses fill out an incident report? a. To document everyday occurrences b. To document the need for disciplinary action c. To improve quality of care d. To initiate litigation

c. To improve quality of care

Which is an example of an unintentional tort? a. Nurses discuss a client's laboratory values in the elevator. b. A nurse tells a client that the client cannot leave the hospital until the client pays the bill. c. A nurse threatens to restrain a client if the client does not stop talking. d. A nurse gives the client a medication, and the client has an adverse reaction to it.

d. A nurse gives the client a medication, and the client has an adverse reaction to it.

A legal document that states a client's health-related wishes — such as a preference for pain management if the client becomes terminally ill — and also allows the client's adult child to direct the client's care, is: a. a will. b. a standard of care. c. a license. d. an advance directive.

d. an advance directive.

A nurse is reviewing the nurse practice act of the state in which the nurse is licensed. The nurse understands that this act was derived from which source of law? a. Constitutional b. Statutory c. Administrative d. Common

b. Statutory

Which process evaluates and recognizes educational programs as having met certain standards? a. Accreditation b. Credentialing c. Licensure d. Certification

a. Accreditation

Having recently completed a specialty nursing program in neonatal care, a nurse is now preparing to leave the medical unit and begin providing care in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The nurse has completed which process of credentialing? a. Certification b. Licensure c. Accreditation d. Validation

a. Certification

Which nursing student would most likely be held liable for negligence? a. A nursing student performs a dressing change using sterile technique and documents the presence of necrotic tissue in the wound. b. A nursing student reports that insulin was not administered to the client by the nurse on the previous shift. c. A nursing student administers medication to a resident while working as an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) at a local nursing home. d. A nursing student completes an incident report after administering a medication to a client who then experienced an adverse reaction to the medication.

c. A nursing student administers medication to a resident while working as an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) at a local nursing home.

Which action constitutes battery? a. An older adult client refuses an intramuscular injection, but the nurse administers it. b. The nurse threatens to restrain a client if the client does not take a medication. c. While bathing a client behind pulled curtains, two nurses discuss a different client. d. The nurse tells a client that the client cannot leave the hospital because the client is seriously ill.

a. An older adult client refuses an intramuscular injection, but the nurse administers it.

A nurse witnesses a traffic accident and dresses the open wounds sustained by a child. Later, in the hospital, the child develops complications from an infection in the wound. The family holds the nurse responsible for the complications and attempts to file a lawsuit. Which statement is true regarding how the Good Samaritan law applies to this case? a. The Good Samaritan law will provide legal immunity to the nurse. b. The Good Samaritan law will not protect the nurse because the nurse did not accept compensation. c. The Good Samaritan law is not applicable to health care workers. d. The Good Samaritan law will provide absolute exemption from prosecution.

a. The Good Samaritan law will provide legal immunity to the nurse.

A client being discharged from the hospital asks the nurse, "When I go visit my family out of state, should I take my living will with me, or do I need a new one for that state?" Which is the most appropriate response by the nurse? a. "A living will can only be used in the state in which it was created." b. "Take it with you. It is recognized universally in the United States." c. "As long as your family knows your medical wishes, you will not need it." d. "We have it on file here, so any hospital can call and get a copy."

b. "Take it with you. It is recognized universally in the United States.

A nurse, while off-duty, tells the physiotherapist that a client who was admitted to the nursing unit contracted AIDS due to exposure to sex workers at the age of 18. The client discovers that the nurse has revealed the information to the physiotherapist. With what legal action could the nurse be charged? a. Libel b. Slander c. Negligence d. Malpractice

b. Slander