LPN to RN Transitions - Chapter 7: Legal Dimensions of Nursing Practice, Assault and Battery
A nurse working in a coronary care unit resuscitates a client who had expressed wishes not to be resuscitated. Which tort has the nurse committed?
Battery
Which statement made by the nurse providing care to a group of clients indicates that the nurse requires further education regarding negligence?
"I don't need to assess distal pulses on a client after a femoral arteriography."
Which statements made by a nurse would indicate to a nurse manager that the nurse requires further training?
"If I make a mistake, I will not tell anyone." "I will have the supervisor fill out the incident report when I make an error."
The client being admitted to the oncology unit conveys wishes regarding resuscitation in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest. The nurse advises the client that it would be in the client's best interest to obtain which document?
A living will
Which is an example of an unintentional tort?
A nurse gives the client medication, and the client has an adverse reaction to it.
During the orientation to the hospital, the staff development educator discusses unit and institutional-based policies. What is the source of the practice rules that result in unit and institutional-based policies?
Health care institution
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?
The nurse should ask the physician to come back and write the order.
A client newly diagnosed with congestive heart failure has a prescription for digoxin. The nurse counts the heart rate before administration of the medication and obtains a heart rate of 51 beats per minute. Which action by the nurse demonstrates adherence to the standards of nursing care?
The nurse withholds the medication and notifies the health care practitioner
Nurses are occasionally asked to witness a testator's (person who makes the will) signing of a will. Which guideline is true regarding a nurse's role in witnessing a testator's signature?
Witnesses to a signature do not need to read the will.
A nursing student administers an overdose of an opioid to a client and the client arrests. When discussing the incident with nursing faculty, which statements made by the student indicate the need for further teaching?
"I am glad I am a student because nursing faculty will be blamed, not me." "I cannot be held liable because this is only my second time at this facility."
While walking down the hall, a nurse manager overhears a staff member telling a client, "If you don't stay in this chair and stop wandering, I'm going to tie you to it." The nurse manager pulls the staff member aside and discusses what was said. The nurse manager intervenes because the staff member's statement is which type of tort?
Assault
A client admitted to a mental health unit has exhibited physical behaviors that put the client and others at risk. The nurse applies four-point restraints on the client without obtaining a physician's order or the client's consent. The nurse is at risk of being accused of which action?
Battery
A client with end-stage renal disease decides against further treatment and requests a "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) order. The DNR status is part of the change-of-shift report. The client stops breathing and a nurse begins cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The family is upset and makes a complaint to the charge nurse. The charge nurse appropriately identifies that nurse has committed:
Battery
An RN enters a client's room and observes the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) forcefully pushing a client down on the bed. The client starts crying and informs the UAP of the need to go to the bathroom. What action is the RN witnessing that should be immediately reported to the supervisor?
Battery
A registered nurse who has an associate degree would like to obtain a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The nurse works full time and has several family obligations and would like to find a program that fits into that lifestyle. What is the nurse's priority question about an educational program?
Is the program accredited?
Which is true of the Occupational Safety and Health Act?
It helps to reduce workforce injuries and illness in the workplace.
While caring for an infant, the nurse hears another child screaming in the next room and rushes there, forgetting to put the side rails up on the infant's crib. The nurse returns to the room to find that the infant has fallen out of the crib and sustained a head injury. Based on the nurse's action, which tort is the nurse liable for?
Malpractice
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?
Slander
While at a coworker's house, a nurse discusses with the coworker a client whom the nurse suspects of physically abusing the client's child. The next day, the client is moved to another nursing unit after a surgical procedure and comes under the care of a coworker, who is also a nurse. The coworker confronts the client about the alleged physical abuse. The client is shocked and angered by the accusation and denies it categorically. What would be the charge if the client were to file a suit?
The first nurse could be charged with slander.
Legal safeguards are in place in the nursing practice to protect the nurse from exposure to legal risks as well as to protect the client from harm. What is an example(s) of legal safeguards for the nurse?
The nurse confirms informed consent was given by the client to perform a procedure. The nurse educates the client about what to expect during the hospital stay. The nurse documents all client care in a timely manner.
