Tort Law: Negligence and Professional Malpractice, Intentional Torts

Which item is used to establish breach of duty in malpractice cases against registered nurses?

Accepted practice for competent nurses

A patient admitted with a gunshot wound refuses blood administration due to cultural preferences. The nurse administers the blood anyway after the patient falls unconscious from hypovolemic shock. Which tort could the nurse be charged with?

Battery

Which type of lawsuits are tort lawsuits?

Civil

The nurse receives hand-off report for a patient who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The operative nurse reports that the patient has minimal pain and moderate chest tube drainage. Upon arriving to the unit, the nurse notes that the patient has filled the chest tube container with sanguineous drainage. Which action is most important for the nurse to take to prevent a malpractice case?

Clarify the condition with the operative nurse and report the findings

The nurse is caring for a patient admitted with acute ischemic stroke. The nurse administers a fibrinolytic medication and returns to reassess the patient four hours later. The nurse notes the patient has an internal hemorrhage and requires emergent surgery and blood transfusions, causing lasting complications. Which part of the nursing process did the nurse fail to incorporate when providing care to this patient?

Evaluation

During a negligence lawsuit, which item is used to establish the standard of care?

Expert testimony

Which nursing action is most likely to cause a malpractice suit?

Failing to note changes in condition in a postoperative patient, leading to postoperative hemorrhage

A nurse on the medical-surgical unit notes that a patient's blood pressure is 60/35 mm Hg and notifies the health care provider. The provider orders a 250 mL fluid bolus and reassessment. Before the bolus is complete, the patient experiences cardiac arrest related to hypovolemic shock; the patient has long-term neurological complications related to anoxic injury. Which nursing failure resulted in the harm to the patient?

Failure to analyze the level of care needed by the patient

The nurse fails to implement fall precautions, and an elderly patient falls from bed and sustains a cranial hemorrhage. The cranial hemorrhage required an extra three weeks of hospital care, and the patient files a malpractice suit against the nurse. Which element can the patient use as proof that the injury has monetary value?

Hospital bills for the extra stay

The nurse is caring for a patient with an asthma attack, but attaches the nasal cannula to the medical air port instead of the oxygen port. Subsequently, the patient died from anoxic injury and the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit. The nurse's breach of duty occurred at which stage of the nursing process?

Implementation

The nurse is caring for a patient who requires central line placement. Before informed consent is signed, which information must be given to the patient? Select all that apply. One, some, or all responses may be correct

Purpose of the treatment Alternative treatment options Benefits of the treatment Risk of the treatment

The nurse is caring for a patient with weakness and altered mental status. The nurse notes that the patient has new onset left-sided weakness and facial drooping and documents the finding while waiting on the health care provider to round. The patient has chronic neurological complications related to the ischemic stroke. Which nursing standard did the nurse breach when caring for this patient?

Reporting changes in condition to the health care provider