Fundamentals of Success - Legal and Ethical Issues

The practitioner orders OOB for a patient. How is the nurse functioning when moving this patient out of bed to a chair? 1. Dependently 2. Independently 3. Collaboratively 4. Interdependently

Correct Answer: 1 (Determining the extent of activity desirable for a patient is within the practitioner's, not a nurse's, scope of practice. Following activity orders is a dependent function of the nurse.) 2. The responsibility to determine a patient's activity level is not within the legal scope of nursing practice. 3. A practitioner works independently when determining a patient's desired activity level. 4. The nurse is following the practitioner's order to get the patient OOB. There are no restrictions or parameters in relation to the order. However, the nurse must use judgment before, during, and after a transfer if a patient's condition changes.

A nurse expert is called to testify in a lawsuit regarding professional nursing malpractice primarily to testify: 1. About standards of nursing care as they apply to the facts in the case 2. With regard to laws governing the practice of nursing 3. For the prosecution 4. For the defense

Correct Answer: 1 (The American Nurses Association Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice are authoritative statements by which the national organization for nursing describes the responsibilities for which its practitioners are accountable. An expert nurse is capable of explaining these standards as they apply to the situation under litigation. These professional standards are one criterion that helps a judge or jury determine if a nurse committed malpractice or negligence.) 2. An expert nurse is not an expert in the law. The expert nurse's role is not to make judgments about the laws as they apply to the practice of nursing. 3. A nurse expert can testify for either the prosecution or the defense. 4. A nurse expert can testify for either the defense or the prosecution.

When the nurse attempts to administer a medication to a patient, the patient refuses to take the medication because it causes diarrhea. The nurse provides teaching about the medication, but the patient continues to adamantly refuse the medication. What should the nurse do first? 1) Document the patient's refusal to take the medication. 2) Notify the practitioner of the patient's refusal to take the medication. 3) Discuss with a family member the need for the patient to take the medication. 4) Explain again to the patient the consequences of refusing to take the medication.

Correct Answer: 1 (The patient has the right to refuse) 2. Notifying the practitioner eventually should be done, but it is not the priority at this time. 3. Discussing the situation with a family member without the patient's consent is a violation of confidentiality. 4. The patient has been taught about the medication and adamantly refuses the medication. Further teaching at this time may be viewed by the patient as badgering.

When caring for a terminally ill patient, a family member says, "I need your help to hasten my mother's death so that she is no longer suffering." What should the nurse do based on the position of the American Nurse association in relation to assisted suicide? 1) Not participate in active euthanasia. 2) Participate based on personal values and beliefs. 3) Participate when the patient is experiencing severe pain. 4) Not participate unless two practitioners are consulted and the patient has had counseling.

Correct Answer: 1 (Withholding the medication and docu- menting the patient's refusal are the appropriate interventions. Patient's have a right to refuse care.) 2. Notifying the practitioner eventually should be done, but it is not the priority at this time. 3. Discussing the situation with a family member without the patient's consent is a violation of confidentiality. 4. The patient has been taught about the medication and adamantly refuses the medication. Further teaching at this time may be viewed by the patient as badgering.

A student nurse is about to graduate from an accredited nursing program. The student nurse understands that an action unrelated to a state Nurse Practice Act is: 1. Setting guidelines for nurses' salaries in the state 2. Establishing reciprocity for licensure between states 3. Determining minimum requirements for nursing education 4. Maintaining a list of nurses who can legally practice in the state

Correct Answer: 1. State Nurse Practice Acts define and regulate the practice of nursing within the state. The salary of nurses is determined through negotiations between nurses or their representatives, such as a union or a professional nursing organization, and the representatives of the agency for which they work. 2. A state's Nurse Practice Act determines the criteria for reciprocity for licensure. 3. A state's Nurse Practice Act stipulates minimum requirements for nursing education. 4. A state's Nurse Practice Act defines the criteria for licensure within the state. The actual functions, such as maintaining a list of nurses who can legally practice in the state, may be delegated to another official body such as a State Board of Nursing or State Education Department.

What is the primary purpose of the American Nurses Association Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice? 1. Establish criteria for quality practice 2. Define the philosophy of nursing practice 3. Identify the legal definition of nursing practice 4. Determine educational standards for nursing practice

Correct Answer: 1. The ANA Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice describe the nature and scope of nursing practice and the responsibilities for which nurses are accountable. 2. A philosophy incorporates the values and beliefs about the phenomena of concern to a discipline. The ANA Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice reflect, not define, a philosophy of nursing. Each nurse and nursing organization should define its own philosophy of nursing. 3. The laws of each state define the practice of nursing within the state. 4. Educational standards are established by accrediting bodies, such as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and state education departments.

What is the main purpose of the American Nurses Association? 1. Establish standards of nursing practice 2. Recognize academic achievement in nursing 3. Monitor educational institutions granting degrees in nursing 4. Prepare nurses to become members of the nursing profession

Correct Answer: 1. The American Nurses Association has established Standards of Care and Standards of Professional Performance. These standards reflect the values of the nursing profession, provide expectations for nursing practice, facilitate the evaluation of nursing practice, and define the profession's accountability to the public. 2. Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing, recognizes academic achievement. 3. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and state education departments monitor educational institutions granting degrees in nursing. 4. Schools of nursing (diploma, associate de- gree, and baccalaureate) educate individuals for entry into the practice of nursing.

The nurse is informed that a credentialing team has arrived and is in the process of assessing quality of care delivered at the hospital. What is the organization associated with the credentialing of hospitals? 1. Joint Commission 2. National League for Nursing 3. American Nurses Association 4. National Council Licensure Examination

Correct Answer: 1. The Joint Commission (formerly the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) evaluates health-care organizations' compliance with Joint Commission standards. Accreditation indicates that the organization has the capabilities to provide quality care. In addition, federal and state regulatory agencies and insurance companies require Joint Commission accreditation. 2. The National League for Nursing (NLN) fosters the development and improvement of nursing education and nursing service. 3. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the national professional organization for nursing in the United States. Its purposes are to promote high standards of nursing practice and to support the educational and professional advancement of nurses. 4. In the United States, graduates of educa- tional programs that prepare students to be- come Licensed Practical Nurses or Registered Professional Nurses must successfully complete the National Council Licensure Examination-PN (NCLEX-PN) and the National Council Licensure Examination-RN (NCLEX-RN), respectively, as part of the criteria for licensure.

When choosing a nursing school in the United States that awards an associate degree, a future student nurse should consider schools that have met the standards of nursing education established by which organization? 1. National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission 2. North American Nursing Diagnosis Association 3. American Nurses Association 4. Sigma Theta Tau

Correct Answer: 1. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) is an organization that appraises and grants accreditation status to nursing programs that meet predetermined structure, process, and outcome criteria. 2. The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) developed a constantly evolving taxonomy of nursing diagnoses to provide a standardized language that focuses on the patient and related nursing care. 3. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the national professional organization for nursing in the United States. It does not accredit schools of nursing. 4. Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing, recognizes academic achievement. It does not accredit schools of nursing.

The nurse is implementing an ordered bowel preparation for a patient who is scheduled for a colonoscopy. Which is the most serious consequence that is prevented by an effective bowel preparation? 1. Discomfort 2. Misdiagnosis 3. Wasted expense 4. Psychological stress

Correct Answer: 2 (Fecal material in the intestines can interfere with the visualization, collection, and analysis of data obtained through a colonoscopy, resulting in diagnostic errors.) 1. Although this may occur, it is not the most serious outcome of an inappropriate preparation for a colonoscopy. 3. A test may have to be cancelled or per- formed a second time if the patient has an ineffective bowel preparation. Although this is a serious consequence, it is not life threatening. 4. Although this is a serious consequence, it is not life threatening.

A patient is asked to participate in a medical research study. The nurse describes to the patient and family members how the patient is protected by the: 1. Code of Ethics 2. Informed Consent 3. Nurse Practice Act 4. Constitution of the United States

Correct Answer: 2 (Informed consent is an agreement by a client to accept a course of treatment or a procedure after receiving complete information necessary to make a knowledgeable decision.) 1. A code of ethics is the official statement of a group's ideals and values. It includes broad statements that provide a basis for professional actions. 3. Nurse Practice Acts define the scope of nursing practice; they are unrelated to informed consent. 4. The Constitution of the United States addresses broad individual rights and responsibilities. The rights related to nursing practice and patients include therights of privacy, freedom of speech, and due process.

The nurse initiates a visit from a member of the clergy for a patient. How is the nurse functioning when initiating this visit? 1. Interdependently 2. Independently 3. Dependently 4. Collegially

Correct Answer: 2 (The nurse is initiating the referral to the member of the clergy and is therefore working independently. Nurses are legally permitted to diagnose and treat human responses to actual or potential health problems.) 1. The nurse does not need a practitioner's order to make a referral to a member of the clergy. An interdependent intervention requires a practitioner's order associated with a parameter. 3. This action is within the scope of nursing practice. The nurse does not need a practitioner's order to make a referral to a member of the clergy. 4. The nurse can make a referral to a mem- ber of the clergy without collaborating with another professional health-care team member.

Identify the actions that are examples of slander. Select all that apply. 1. _____ Volunteer telling another volunteer a patient's age 2. _____ Nurse explaining to a patient that another nurse is incompetent 3. _____ Personal care assistant sharing information about a patient with another patient 4. _____ Unit manager documenting a nurse's medication error in a performance appraisal 5. _____ Housekeeper who is angry at a nurse erroneously telling another staff member that the nurse uses cocaine

Correct Answer: 2, 5 2. This is an example of slander. Slander is a false spoken statement resulting in damage to a person's character or reputation. 5. This is an example of slander. It is a malicious, false statement that may damage the nurse's reputation. 1. This is a violation of the patient's right to confidentiality, not slander. 3. This is a violation of the patient's right to confidentiality, not slander. 4. This is not slander because it is a written, not spoken, statement and it documents true, not false, information.

Which organization is responsible for ensuring that Registered Nurses are minimally qualified to practice nursing? 1) Sigma Theta Tau 2) State Boards of Nursing 3) American Nurses Association 4) Constituent leagues of the National League for Nursing.

Correct Answer: 2. (The National Council of State Boards of Nursing is responsible for the NCLEX examinations; however, the licensing authority in the jurisdiction in which the graduate takes the examination verifies the acceptable score on the examination.) 1. Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing, recognizes academic achievement and leadership qualities, encourages high professional standards, fosters creative endeavors, and supports excellence in the profession of nursing. This organization does not grant licensure. 3. The American Nurses Association (ANA) is the national professional organization for nursing in the United States. It fosters high standards of nursing practice; it does not grant licensure. 4. The National League for Nursing (NLN) is committed to promoting and improving nursing service and nursing education; it does not grant licensure

The client who requires a co-signature for a valid consent for surgery is a: 1. 15-year-old mother whose infant requires exploratory surgery 2. 40-year-old resident in a home for developmentally disabled adults 3. 90-year-old adult who wants more information about the risks of surgery 4. 50-year-old unconscious trauma victim who needs insertion of a chest tube

Correct Answer: 2. A client living in a protected environment such as a home for developmen- tally disabled adults may not have the mental capacity to make medical decisions and requires the signature of a court-appointed legal representative. This person could be a parent, sibling, relative, or unrelated individual. 1. A mother may legally make medical deci- sions for her children even if the mother is younger than 18 years of age. 3. Older adults can make decisions for them- selves as long as they understand the risks and benefits of the surgery and are not receiving medication that may interfere with cognitive ability. 4. The insertion of a chest tube to inflate a lung is an emergency intervention to facilitate respiration and oxygenation. This emergency procedure is implemented to sustain life and does not require a signed consent if the client is incapacitated.

Nursing practice is influenced by the doctrine of respondent superior. What is the basic concept related to this theory of liability? 1. Nurses must respond to the Supreme Court when they commit acts of malpractice 2. Health-care facilities are responsible for the negligent actions of the nurses whom they employ 3. Nurses are responsible for their actions when they have contractual relationships with patients 4. The laws absolve nurses from being sued for negligence if they provide inappropriate care at the scene of an accident

Correct Answer: 2. Every state has its own Nurse Practice Act that describes and defines the legal boundaries of nursing practice within the state. 1. Nursing team members or an interdisci- plinary team of health-care providers write standardized care plans. 3. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and state education departments are the major or- ganizations accrediting nursing education programs in the United States. 4. The American Nurses Association and other specialty organizations offer certification in specialty areas in nursing practice.

Licensure of Registered Professional Nurses is required primarily to protect: 1. Nurses 2. Patients 3. Common law 4. Health-care agencies

Correct Answer: 2. Licensure indicates that a person has met minimal standards of competency, thus protecting the public's safety. 1. Licensure does not protect the nurse. Licensure grants an individual the legal right to practice as a Registered Nurse. 3. Licensure does not protect common law. Common law comprises standards and rules based on the principles established in prior judicial decisions. 4. Licensure does not protect health-care agencies. The Joint Commission deter- mines if agencies meet minimal standards of health-care delivery, thus protecting the public.

Nursing practice is influenced by the doctrine of respondeat superior. What is the basic concept related to this theory of liability? 1. Nurses must respond to the Supreme Court when they commit acts of malpractice 2. Health-care facilities are responsible for the negligent actions of the nurses whom they employ 3. Nurses are responsible for their actions when they have contractual relationships with patients 4. The laws absolve nurses from being sued for negligence if they provide inappropriate care at the scene of an accident

Correct Answer: 2. The ancient legal doctrine respondeat superior means "let the master answer." By virtue of the employer-employee relationship, the employer is responsible for the conduct of its employees. 1. This is unrelated to respondeat superior. Negligence and malpractice, which are unintentional torts, are litigated in local courts by civil actions between individuals. 3. Individual responsibility is unrelated to respondeat superior. A nurse can have an independent contractual relationship with a patient. When a nurse works for an agency, the contract between the nurse and patient is implied. In both instances the nurse is responsible for the care provided. 4. This is unrelated to respondeat superior. Good Samaritan laws do not provide absolute immunity.

The nurse says, "If you do not let me do this dressing change, I will not let you eat dinner with the other residents in the dining room." What legal term is related to this statement? 1. Battery 2. Assault 3. Negligence 4. Malpractice

Correct Answer: 2. This statement is an unjust threat. Assault is the threat to harm another person without cause. 1. This is not an example of battery. Battery is the actual willful touching of another person that may or may not cause harm. 3. This is not an example of negligence. Negligence occurs when harm or injury is caused by an act of either commission or omission. 4. This is not an example of malpractice. Malpractice is negligence by a professional person as compared with the actions of another professional person in a similar circumstance when a contract exists between the patient and nurse.

When attempting to administer a 10:00 PM sleeping medication, the nurse assesses that the patient appears to be asleep. What should the nurse do? 1. Withhold the drug 2. Notify the practitioner 3. Awaken the patient to administer the drug 4. Administer it later if the patient awakens during the night

Correct Answer: 3. Administering a medication is a dependent function of the nurse. The prescription should be followed as written if the prescription is reasonable and prudent. This medication was not a PRN medication but rather a standing order. 1. This is a violation of the practitioner's or- der. Drug administration is a dependent nursing function. 2. This is unnecessary. 4. The drug should be administered as prescribed not at a later time.

The nurse completes an Incident Report after a patient falls while getting out of bed unassisted. What is the main purpose of this report? 1. Ensure that all parties have an opportunity to document what happened 2. Help establish who is responsible for the incident 3. Make data available for quality-control analysis 4. Document the incident on the patient's chart

Correct Answer: 3. Incident Reports help to identify patterns of risk so that corrective action plans can take place. 1. The nurse who identified or created the potential or actual harm completes the Incident Report. The report identifies the people involved in the incident, describes the incident, and records the date, time, location, actions taken, and other relevant information. 2. Documentation should be as factual as possible and avoid accusations. Questions of liability are the responsibility of the courts. 4. The report is not part of the patient's medical record, and reference to the report should not be made in the patient's medical record.

The nurse must administer a medication. What should the nurse do first? 1. Check the patient's identification armband 2. Ensure the medication is in the medication cart 3. Verify the practitioner's prescription for accuracy 4. Determine the appropriateness of the prescribed medication

Correct Answer: 3. The administration of medications is a dependent function of the nurse. The practitioner's prescription should be verified for accuracy. The prescription must include the name of the patient, the name of the drug, the size of the dose, the route of administration, the number of times per day to be administered, and any related parameters. 1. Although this action is essential for the safe administration of a medication to a patient, it is not the first step of this procedure. 2. Although this may be done as a time- management practice, it is not the first step when preparing to administer a medication to a patient. 4. A nurse is legally responsible for the safe administration of medications; therefore, the nurse should assess if a medication prescription is reasonable. However, this is not the first step when preparing to administer a medication to a patient.

An anxious patient repeatedly uses the call bell to get the nurse to come to the room. Finally the nurse says to the patient, "If you keep ringing, there will come a time I won't answer your bell." What legal term is related to this statement? 1. Slander 2. Battery 3. Assault 4. Libel

Correct Answer: 3. This is an example of assault. Assault is a verbal attack or unlawful threat causing a fear of harm. No actual contact is necessary for a threat to be an assault. 1. This is not an example of slander, which is a false spoken statement resulting in damage to a person's character or reputation. 2. This is not an example of battery, which is the unlawful touching of a person's body without consent. 4. This is not an example of libel, which is a false printed statement resulting in damage to a person's character or reputation.

A Registered Nurse witnesses an accident and assists the victim who has a life-threatening injury. What should the nurse do to meet the most important standard when acting as a Good Samaritan at the scene of an accident? 1. Seek consent from the injured party before rendering assistance 2. Implement every critical-care intervention necessary to sustain life 3. Stay at the scene until another qualified person takes over responsibility 4. Insist on helping because a nurse is the best-qualified person to provide care

Correct Answer: 3. When a nurse renders emergency care, the nurse has an ethical responsibility not to abandon the injured person. The nurse should not leave the scene until the injured person leaves or another qualified person assumes responsibility. 1. Depending on the injured person's physi- cal and emotional status, the person may or may not be able to consent to care. 2. When a nurse helps in an emergency, the nurse is required to render care that is consistent with care that any reasonably prudent nurse would provide under simi- lar circumstances. The nurse should not attempt interventions that are beyond the scope of nursing practice. 4. A nurse should offer assistance, not insist on assisting, at the scene of an emergency.

A practitioner asks the nurse to witness an informed consent. Which patient does the nurse identify is unable to give an informed consent for surgery? 1) 16 year old boy who is married 2) 35 year old woman who is depressed 3) 50 year old woman who does not speak English 4) 65 year old man who has received a narcotic for pain.

Correct Answer: 4 (Narcotics depress the CNS, including decision-making abilities. 1 - Because legally anyone under 18 who is married can make the decision. 2 - wrong because a depressed person can make these decisions until proven mentally incompetent. 3 - Wrong because this person can provide informed consent after translations.

A practitioner writes a prescription for a medication that is larger than the standard dose. What should the nurse do? 1) Inform the supervisor 2) Give the drug as prescribed. 3) Give the average dose of the medication. 4) Discuss the prescription with the practitioner.

Correct Answer: 4 (Nurses have a prof. resonsibility to know/investigate the standard dose for medications being administered. In addition, nurses are responsible for their own actions regardless of whether there is a written prescription) 1 - It is unnecessary to call the supervisor. 2 - This is unsafe for the patient and may result in malpractice. 3 - Changing a medication prescription is not within the scope of nursing practice.

A patient is scheduled to have surgery, and informed consent is to be obtained. Place these steps in the order in which they should performed. 1. The patient is willing to sign the consent voluntarily 2. The patient signs the consent in the presence of the nurse 3. The nurse determines that the patient is alert and competent to give consent 4. The practitioner informs the patient of the risks and benefits of the procedure

Correct Answer: 4, 3, 1, 2 4. It is the responsibility of the practitioner to provide all the information necessary to make a knowledgeable decision. Patients have a legal right to have adequate and accurate information to make informed decisions. 3. Patients must be competent to sign a consent form. The patient must be alert, competent, and in touch with reality. Confused, sedated, unconscious, or minor patients may not give con- sent. Minor patients who are married, parents, emancipated, or serving in the United States military can provide a legal consent. 1. Patients must give their consent voluntarily and without coercion. 2. The health-care provider witnessing the signing of the consent must ensure that the signature is genuine.

The nurse changes a patient's dry sterile dressing. How is the nurse functioning when performing this task? 1. Interdependently 2. Collaboratively 3. Independently 4. Dependently

Correct Answer: 4. A nurse is not permitted legally to prescribe wound care. The nurse needs a practitioner's order to provide wound care. 1. The changing of a dry sterile dressing is an interdependent action by the nurse when the practitioner's order for wound care states: Dry Sterile Dressing PRN. 2. In this situation, the nurse is not working with other health-care professionals to implement a practitioner's order. 3. This intervention is not within the scope of nursing practice without a practitioner's order.

How is the nurse functioning when administering a drug that has PRN as part of the prescription? 1. Collegially 2. Dependently 3. Independently 4. Interdependently

Correct Answer: 4. An interdependent intervention requires a practitioner's order associated with a set parameter. The parameter, whenever necessary, requires that the nurse use judgment in implementing the order. 1. Collegial or collaborative interventions are actions the nurse performs in conjunction with other health-care team members. 2. Dependent interventions are those activi- ties performed under a practitioner's direction and supervision. 3. Independent interventions are those activities the nurse is licensed to initiate based on knowledge and expertise.

When considering legal issues the word contract is to liable as standard is to: 1. Rights 2. Negligence 3. Malpractice 4. Accountability

Correct Answer: 4. Liable means a person is responsible (accountable) for fulfilling a contract that is enforceable by law. Accountable means a person is responsible (liable) for meeting standards, which are expectations established for making judgments or comparisons. 1. Although patients have a right to receive care that meets appropriate standards, the word right does not have the same relationship to the word standard as the relationship between the words contract and liable. 2. The words standards and negligence do not have the same relationship as contract and liable. Negligence involves an act of commission or omission that a reasonably prudent person would not do. 3. The words standards and malpractice do not have the same relationship as contract and liable. Malpractice is negligence by a professional person.

Which factor is unique to malpractice when comparing negligence and malpractice? 1. The action did not meet standards of care 2. The inappropriate care is an act of commission 3. There is harm to the patient as a result of the care 4. There is a contractual relationship between the nurse and patient

Correct Answer: 4. Only malpractice is misconduct performed in professional practice, where there is a contractual relationship between the patient and nurse, which results in harm to the patient. 1. There is a violation of standards of care with both negligence and malpractice. 2. Negligence and malpractice both involve acts of either commission or omission. 3. The patient must have sustained injury, damage, or harm with both negligence and malpractice.

A faculty member of a nursing program is conducting an informational session for potential nursing students. The faculty member includes the information that at the completion of the program licensure to practice is: 1. A responsibility of the American Nurses Association 2. Granted on graduation from a nursing program 3. Approved by the National League for Nursing 4. Required by state law

Correct Answer: 4. The Nurse Practice Act in a state stipulates the requirements for licensure within the state. 1. The ANA Standards of Clinical Nursing Practice do not address licensure. 2. When a person graduates from a school of nursing, the individual receives a diploma that indicates completion of a course of study; the diploma is not a license to practice nursing. 3. The National League for Nursing (NLN) promotes nursing service and nursing education; it is not involved with licensure.

The patient's diet order is "clear liquids to regular as tolerated." How is the nurse functioning when progressing the patient's diet to full liquid? 1. Dependently 2. Independently 3. Collaboratively 4. Interdependently

Correct Answer: 4. The practitioner's order implies a progression in the diet as tolerated. The nurse uses judgment to determine the time of this progression, which is an interdependent action. 1. This dietary order has parameters that exceed a simple dependent function of the nurse. 2. Prescribing a dietary order for a patient is outside the scope of nursing practice. 3. Collaborative or collegial interventions are actions the nurse carries out in conjunction with other health-care team members.

The nurse administers an incorrect dose of a medication to a patient. What is the primary purpose of documenting this event in an Incident Report? 1) Record the event for future litigation. 2) Provide a basis for designing new policies. 3) Prevent similar situations from happening again. 4) Ensure accountability for the cause of the accident.

Correct answer: 3 (Risk-management committees use stats about accidents & incidents to identify patterns of risk and prevent future accidents/incidents.) 1 - Wrong because although documentation of an incident may be used in a court of law, it is not the primary reason for an incident report. 2- This is not the primary reason. New policies may or may not have to be written and implemented. 4 - Although nurses are always accountable for their actions, accountability for the cause of an incidence is the role of the courts.

When the nurse is administering a medication to a confused patient, the patient says, "this pill looks different from the one I had before." What should the nurse do? 1) Ask what the other pill looked like. 2) Explain the purpose of the medication. 3) Check the original medication prescription. 4) Encourage the patient to take the medication.

Correct answer: 3 (This is the safest intervention because it goes to the original source of the prescription.) 1 - Wrong because This action by itself is unsafe because the patient is confused and the information obtained may be innacurate. 2 - This intervention ignores the patient's concern. 4 - This action ignores the patient's statement and is unsafe without obtaining additional information.