Legal Considerations in Nursing
Consumers expect to receive basic privileges when seeking healthcare. In which document is this information found? Nursing care plan Patient's Bill of Rights brochure Physician's orders Policy and procedure manual
Patient's Bill of Rights brochure The American Hospital Association (AHA) adopted the Patient's Bill of Rights to inform consumers of healthcare about specific privileges.
Informed consent rights were established through which type of law? Constitutional Case Statutory Civil
Case The rights of patients to informed consent were established through case law.
The nurse is caring for an older adult patient who needs a catheter insertion. The patient states she does not want the catheter. The nurse obtains assistance from a CNA to hold the patient down for the catheter insertion. What is this an example of? Assault Battery Invasion of privacy False imprisonment
Battery
A nurse in the ICU is caring for a patient for whom brain death has been established. What nursing interventions are associated with the care of a potential organ donor? (select all that apply) Delivering resuscitative care to patient Obtaining consent for organ donation Advocating by honoring the last wishes of the family Providing information and support to family/significant others
Advocating by honoring the last wishes of the family Providing information and support to family/significant others Nursing interventions related to organ donation include providing information and support to families and significant others. Nurses advocate for patients and their families by honoring the last wishes of the patient.
Which actions are examples of intentional tort? (select all that apply) Negligence Assault Defamation of character Malpractice False imprisonment
Assault Defamation of character False imprisonment
A nurse is caring for a patient whose medication is due at 1500. She retrieves the medication at the time it is due and documents that she gave it at 1500. At 1600 the oncoming nurse finds the medication lying on the bedside table. The first nurse has committed what type of error? Error of omission Conduct error Delegation error Negligence
Error of omission Nurses sometimes document that a patient has received medication before its actual administration. This is serious violation of the law and becomes a medication error of omission.
What may a nurse who intentionally administers a lethal dose of medication be charged with? Negligence Felony Malpractice Tort
Felony A nurse who intentionally harms a patient, for example by intentionally administering a lethal dose of medication, may be charged with a felony.
An older adult patient is being admitted to the hospital. The nurse asks for an advance directive. The patient responds that her daughter is the designated person that will make healthcare decisions in the event that she is unable to. What is the document the nurse will expect to receive? Living Will Durable Power of Attorney Power of Attorney Healthcare Proxy
Healthcare Proxy A healthcare proxy is a document that specifies the person who can make healthcare decisions for an individual who is unable to comprehend information or communicate his or her wishes for any reason.
A patient is admitted to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident where he was impaled with a metal pole. The chest X-ray is fascinating to all the staff and is used as a learning opportunity with residents and nursing students. A nurse posts a photo of the chest X-ray on Facebook, leaving out any patient identifiers. What is this an example of? Assault Battery Invasion of privacy False imprisonment
Invasion of privacy Accessing the medical record of a patient for whom a nurse does not have the responsibility of providing care is an example of invasion of privacy. Taking a picture of a wound and posting it on social media without the patient's permission is another example of invasion of privacy, even without any patient identifiers.
A nurse administers an IV antibiotic that a patient is allergic to. The MAR clearly notes the allergy, and the patient is wearing a wristband which notes the allergy, but the nurse failed to complete the verification process. What could this nurse be charged with? Assault Battery Negligence Malpractice
Malpractice Malpractice is negligence committed by a person functioning in a professional role. This extends to the nurse's role as a last safety checkpoint. For example, even if a provider inadvertently orders a medication to which the patient is allergic, it is the nurse's responsibility to check the patient's allergies before administering all medications to meet standards of care for safe practice.
Informed consent must be obtained from a legal guardian, power of attorney, or healthcare proxy for which persons? Minors Emancipated minors Competent adults Individuals under the influence of drugs Older adults
Minors Individuals under the influence of drugs Informed consent must be obtained from a legal guardian, power of attorney, or healthcare proxy for individuals under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Informed consent must be obtained from a legal guardian, power of attorney, or healthcare proxy for minors.
A nurse is charged with misuse of a controlled substance. What charges could he or she face? Misdemeanor Felony Malpractice Tort
Misdemeanor A nurse who is charged with misuse of a controlled substance may be charged with a misdemeanor.
A nurse notes that water has spilled in the hallway. What is it called when failure to clean up the spill results in a patient fall? Assault Battery Negligence Malpractice
Negligence If water is spilled on a hospital corridor floor, a reasonable person would recognize it as a potential fall hazard, seek to alert others to its presence, and have it cleaned up as quickly as possible. Failure to act in this way constitutes negligence.
The nurse is caring for a patient on the oncology unit. As the patient begins to exhibit a deteriorating respiratory status, where does the nurse locate information about resuscitation status? Orders Armband Patient Family
Orders The choice to refuse or limit treatment is documented as a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order.
The nurse is discussing a surgical procedure with a patient who is of Indian descent. What strategies should the nurse use to assess understanding of instructions provided? (select all that apply) Provide printed information obtained from the internet in the patient's native language. Present the consent form with the medical terms clearly written. Provide information to the patient and family members involved. Verify that adequate opportunity for asking questions has been given. Use a professional interpreter if necessary.
Provide information to the patient and family members involved. Verify that adequate opportunity for asking questions has been given. Use a professional interpreter if necessary. A professional interpreter may be needed for discussing a surgical procedure.In this situation information regarding the surgery or procedure may be provided to the patient and family members involved in the decision-making process. In this situation, the nurse verifies that adequate opportunity for asking questions.
A nurse is caring for a patient on anticoagulant therapy. Before she administers the medication as scheduled, she verifies that the international normalized ratio INR levels are within acceptable range. What is this an example of in nursing? Competency Good Samaritan Standard of care Diagnosis
Standard of care Standards of care are minimum requirements for providing safe nursing care. Standards of care are the benchmark against which a nurse's actions are evaluated.
A 17-year-old female is admitted for emergency surgery after a motor vehicle accident. She is not emancipated. Who can sign informed consent for her surgery? The patient The patient's boyfriend The healthcare provider The parent or legal guardian
The parent or legal guardian Informed consent for a minor must be obtained from a parent or legal guardian.
Who is responsible for obtaining informed consent for a procedure? The provider The primary nurse Admitting department The healthcare proxy
The provider The provider is responsible for obtaining informed consent.
Which matters are defined in a state's Nurse Practice Act? (select all that apply) Facility hiring practices Who is permitted to administer medications Procedure for reporting unsafe practice Number of continuing education hours required
Who is permitted to administer medications Procedure for reporting unsafe practice Number of continuing education hours required