Fundamentals Ch 7

The nurse educator is presenting an in-service on nursing and malpractice. Which statements, made by the nursing staff, would indicate to the educator that further teaching is required? Select all that apply.

"I will have the supervisor fill out the incident report when I make an error." "If I make a mistake, I will not tell anyone"

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?" What is the most appropriate response made by the nurse?

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

Which nursing student would most likely be held liable for negligence?

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

Which of the following is an example of certification?

A nurse who demonstrates advanced expertise in a content area of nursing through special testing.

Which process evaluates and recognizes educational programs as having met certain standards?

AccreditationNurses are occasionally asked to witness a testator's (person who makes the will) signing of his or her will. Which of the following guidelines is true regarding a nurse's role is witnessing a testator's signature?

Nurses practice within the legal and mandatory standards of the nursing profession. What are examples of voluntary standards in nursing? (Select all that apply.)

American Nurses Association Standards of Practice Professional standards for certification of individual nurses in general practice Process of certification

The charge nurse overhears a staff nurse threatening to restrain a verbally abusive client if the abuse continues. The charge nurse meets with the staff nurse to discuss this behavior. Which legal tort, if identified by the charge nurse, would alert the staff nurse to potential criminal charges?

Assault

An oncology nurse is caring for a client suffering from metabolic encephalopathy and end stage kidney disease. The client has no known family and no advanced directives. Upon entering the room, the nurse observes the client is pale and has no spontaneous respiration. What is the priority action the nurse should take?

Begin CPR.

Having recently completed a specialty nursing program in neonatal care, a nurse is now preparing to leave her current position on a medical unit and begin providing care in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The nurse has completed which of the following processes of credentialing?

Certification

A client states that his recent fall was caused by the fact that his scheduled antihypertensive medications were mistakenly administered by two different nurses, an event that is disputed by both of the nurses identified by the client. Which measure should the nurses prioritize when anticipating that legal action may follow?

Document the client's claims and the events surrounding the alleged incident.

An HIV-positive client discovers that his name is published in a research report on HIV care prepared by his nurse. He is hurt and files a lawsuit against her. Which offense has the nurse committed?

Invasion of privacy

When the nurse informs a client's employer of his autoimmune deficiency disease, the nurse is committing the tort of:

Invasion of privacy

A client has a prescription for amoxicillin (Amoxil) 500 mg P.O. (by mouth) every 8 hours. The nurse administers the medication via the intravenous route. Based on the nurse's action, the client develops a pulmonary embolus, experiences respiratory distress, and is transferred to the intensive care unit. The client's family files a lawsuit against the facility and the nurse. While reviewing the case, which legal action has the nurse attorney identified that meets the criteria for the client's lawsuit?

Malpractice

The health care provider prescribes orders for a client with newly diagnosed uncontrolled seizure activity. When reviewing the prescriptions, the nurse correctly identifies which prescription, if followed, puts him at risk for negligence charges?

Restrain all four extremitiesWhen making client rounds, the charge nurse observes which action by a staff nurse that would constitute battery?

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 of the following statements is true regarding the Good Samaritan law?

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

A registered nurse has had her license suspended after being convicted of being impaired at work. What governing body has the authority to revoke or suspend a nurse's license?

The State Board of Nurse Examiners

When making client rounds, the charge nurse observes which action by a staff nurse that would constitute battery?

The elderly client refuses the intramuscular injection, but the staff nurse administered it

A client is brought to the emergency department in an unconscious state with a head injury. The client requires surgery to remove a blood clot. What would be the appropriate nursing intervention in keeping with the policy of informed consent prior to a surgical procedure?

The nurse ensures that the client's family signs the consent form.

A physician is called to see a client with angina. During the visit the physician advises the nurse to decrease the atenolol to 12.5 mg. However, since the physician is late for another visit, she requests that the nurse write down the order for her. What should be the appropriate nursing action in this situation?

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

Nurses are occasionally asked to witness a testator's (person who makes the will) signing of his or her will. Which of the following guidelines is true regarding a nurse's role is witnessing a testator's signature?

Witnesses to a signature do not need to read the will.

A client is unhappy with the health care provided to him. He approaches the nurse and informs her that he is leaving the facility. The client has not been discharged by the physician. The nurse finds that the client has dressed and is ready to go. What would the nurse's action be in this situation?

The nurse should call the nursing supervisor and inform her about the situation.

A nurse enters the client's room and finds the client lying on the floor experiencing a seizure activity. After stabilizing the client, the nurse informs the physician. The physician advises the nurse to prepare an incident report. What is the purpose of an incident report?

To evaluate quality care and potential risks for injury to the client

A client is received in a postoperative nursing unit after undergoing abdominal surgery. During this time, the nurse failed to recognize the significance of abdominal swelling, which significantly increased during the next 6 hours. Later, the client had to undergo emergency surgery. The lack of action on the nurse's part is liable for action. Which of the following legal terms describes the case?

Tort

The nurse educator provides an educational session to the nursing staff on protection of a client's privacy. Which circumstances, identified by the staff, would indicate to the educator that the teaching was effective? Select all that apply.

With the client's permission, the nurse explained the client's diagnosis to the client's spouse. The nurse removed the client from the emergency department waiting room into a private area to collect assessment data.

A nurse is working on a medical surgical unit with a licensed practical/vocational nurse (LPN/LVN). Which action made by the nurse is considered negligent if injury results from this action?

asking the LPN/LVN to teach a new diabetic client how to administer insulin

A registered nurse enters a client's room and observes the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) pushing a client down on the bed. The client starts crying and informs the UAP that he needs to go to the bathroom. The UAP holds the client down and tells him he was just in the bathroom. The nurse observing this incident is aware that the UAP's action is an example of:

battery The UAP is engaging in battery, which is an assault that is carried out and includes willful, angry, and violent or negligent touching of another person's body or clothes or anything attached to (or held by) that other person. Assault is a threat or an attempt to make bodily contact with another person without that person's consent.

In some cases, the act of providing nursing care in unexpected situations is covered by the Good Samaritan laws. Which nursing actions would most likely be covered by these laws?

emergency care for a choking victim in a restaurant

A nurse observes another nurse place an unused dose of narcotics in their pocket. If caught, the nurse could be charged with which type of crime?

felony

While riding in the elevator, a nurse discusses the HIV-positive status of a client with other colleagues. The nurse's action reflects:

invasion of privacy.

A nurse is overheard in the hospital cafeteria making false comments about a client. The nurse is guilty of:

slander

In comparison with licensure, which measures entry-level competence, what does certification validate?

specialty knowledge and clinical judgment

Nurses complete incident reports as dictated by the agency protocol. What is the primary reason nurses fill out an incident report?

to improve quality of care

Professional regulations and laws that govern nursing practice are primarily in place for which reason?

to protect the safety of the public