Term
| A client is in a persistent vegetative state following a severe motor vehicle accident. The client has no immediate family. Whom should the nurse consult when seeking direction for care? |
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Definition
A surrogate decision maker
Infants, young children, people with severe cognitive impairment or who are incapacitated, and people in a persistent vegetative state or coma do not have the capacity to participate in decision-making about their health care. For such people, a surrogate decision maker must be legally designated to act on their behalf. This individual's authority would supersede that of the care team, the primary care provider or an outside legal representative. |
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Term
| Which scenario is an example of certification? |
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Definition
A nurse who demonstrates advanced expertise in a content area of nursing through special testing
Certification is a voluntary process whereby a person who has met criteria established by a nongovernmental association is granted special recognition in a specified practice area. Licensure is granted by the state to a graduate of a nursing education program who passes the NCLEX-RN. Accreditation is a voluntary process by which a nursing education program is recognized as having met certain standards by the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation and/or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The Joint Commission can also accredit health care agencies. |
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Term
| A nurse and the facility have been named as defendants in a malpractice lawsuit. In addition to the nurse's attorney, whom else would be appropriate for the nurse to talk with about the case? |
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Definition
The agency's risk manager
A nurse who is named a defendant should work closely with an attorney while preparing the defense. With the exception of the nurse's attorney and the agency's risk manager, the nurse should not discuss the case with anyone, including anyone at the agency, the plaintiff, the plaintiff's lawyer, anyone testifying for the plaintiff, or reporters. |
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Term
| Which scenario is an example of certification? |
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Definition
A nurse who demonstrates advanced expertise in a content area of nursing through special testing
Certification is a voluntary process whereby a person who has met criteria established by a nongovernmental association is granted special recognition in a specified practice area. Licensure is granted by the state to a graduate of a nursing education program who passes NCLEX-RN. Accreditation is a voluntary process by which a nursing education program is recognized as having met certain standards by the NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation and/or the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The Joint Commission can also accredit health care agencies. |
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Term
| An HIV-positive client discovers that the client's name is published in a research report on HIV care prepared by the client's nurse. The client is hurt and files a lawsuit against the nurse. Which offense has the nurse committed? |
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Definition
Invasion of privacy
The nurse has committed the tort of invasion of privacy. Personal names and identities should be concealed or obliterated in case studies or research work. Invasion of privacy is a type of intentional tort. Defamation is an act in which untrue information harms a person's reputation and is therefore not applicable here. Negligence is the harm that results because a person did not act reasonably. |
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Term
| When talking with family over dinner, the nurse shares about a client with infertility at the hospital, identifying the person by name. Which tort has the nurse committed? |
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Definition
Invasion of privacy
Invasion of privacy involves a breach in keeping client information confidential. Slander is oral defamation of character. Assault is a threat or attempt to make bodily contact with another person without that person’s consent. Fraud is willful and purposeful misrepresentation that could cause, or has caused, loss or harm to a person or property. |
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Term
| A client states that the client's recent fall was caused by his scheduled antihypertensive medications being 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? |
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Definition
Document the client's claims and the events surrounding the alleged incident.
It is imperative for nurses to carefully and accurately document assessment findings and the nursing care that they provide, especially when legal action is anticipated. This thorough and accurate assessment should precede consultation with the legal department, the state board of nursing, and colleagues. |
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Term
| Nurses may commit both intentional and unintentional torts when practicing within the profession. What intentional torts may occur in nursing practice? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
A nurse threatens to hit an older client who has dementia and is screaming.
A nurse seeks employment in a hospital after falsifying credentials on a resume.
A nurse places a client who is a fall risk in restraints without an order from the health care provider.
A nurse makes disparaging remarks to the staff about a client who has a sexually transmitted infection (STI).
Torts may be intentional or unintentional acts of wrongdoing. Some of the intentional torts for which nurses may be held liable include assault and battery. Examples of intentional torts would include a nurse threatening to hit an older client who has dementia and who is wailing; a nurse seeking employment in a hospital after falsifying credentials on a resume; a nurse placing a client who is a fall risk in restraints without the proper order; a nurse making disparaging remarks to the staff about a client who has a sexually transmitted infection. A nurse forgetting to put the side rail up on a crib would be an example of an unintentional tort, as would a nurse not reporting a change in client condition in a timely manner. |
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Term
| Which is an example of an unintentional tort? |
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Definition
A nurse gives the client a medication, and the client has an adverse reaction to it.
An unintentional tort occurs when the nurse does not intend harm, but harm occurs (e.g., the nurse administers a medication and the client has an adverse reaction to it). The other three responses are intentional torts. |
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Term
| An older adult client has expressed to the nurse a desire to specify and document the care they want to receive and do not want to receive if they become incapacitated. The nurse should encourage the client to explore what option? |
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Definition
A living will
A living will is an advance directive that specifies the types of medical treatment patients do and do not want to receive should they become unable to speak for themselves in a terminal or permanently unconscious condition. A will is a legal document where one communicates wishes of how to dispose of personal effects and belongings upon one's death. The scope of a DNR order is limited to CPR and other heroic life-saving interventions. A surrogate decision-maker can makes choices on the client's behalf but does not necessarily record or convey the client's specific wishes. |
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Term
| A nurse talks with family members about an AIDS client from the clinic where the nurse works. Which tort has the nurse committed? |
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Definition
Invasion of privacy
Invasion of privacy involves a breach of keeping client information confidential. Fraud is willful and purposeful misrepresentation that could cause, or has caused, loss or harm to a person or property. Slander is oral defamation of character. Assault is a threat or attempt to make bodily contact with another person without that person’s consent. |
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Term
| Nurses complete incident reports as dictated by the agency protocol. What is the primary reason nurses fill out an incident report? |
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Definition
To improve quality of care
The primary reason to fill out an incident report is to improve the quality of care. Incident reports are not designed to be a means for disciplinary action. Incident reports are designed to identify actual or potential risks that can be addressed to improve quality of care. Incident reports are not intended to initiate litigation or document everyday occurrences. |
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Term
| Which is true of the Occupational Safety and Health Act? |
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Definition
It helps to reduce workforce injuries and illness in the workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 helps to reduce injuries and illness in the workplace. The National Practitioner Data Bank is a clearinghouse for health care practitioners who engage in unprofessional conduct and prevents them from moving from state to state. Mandatory reporting laws, not the Occupational Safety and Health Act, require nurses to report abuse. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects people with communicable diseases and those recovering from drug or alcohol addiction. |
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Term
| A nurse is caring for a client following endotracheal intubation. Before applying soft wrist restraints to prevent the client from pulling out the endotracheal tube, what is the most appropriate action of the nurse? |
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Definition
Obtain a medical order.
Nurses must obtain a medical order before each and every instance in which they use restraints. Due to the severity of the client illness requiring endotracheal intubation, the client may not be able to provide a written consent. The client does not need to be sedated unless medically necessary, and although it is appropriate to notify the family, this is not the priority. |
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Term
| Having recently completed a specialty nursing program in neonatal care, a nurse is now preparing to leave the medical unit and begin providing care in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The nurse has completed which process of credentialing? |
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Definition
Certification
The process of certification involves the attainment and validation of specialized nursing knowledge and skills. Certification is often necessary to ensure that the nursing care provided in specialized and high-acuity settings is safe and appropriate. Accreditation is the process by which an educational program, rather than an individual nurse, is identified as meeting standards. The process of licensure involves the determination that a nurse meets minimum requirements to practice but not necessarily that the nurse has the specialized knowledge that is necessary for some care settings. Validation is not a specific aspect of the process of credentialing. |
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Term
| A family brings the client 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? |
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Definition
The nurse confirms that the client's family has signed the consent form.
The nurse should confirm that the client's family has signed the consent form. However, the health care provider is responsible for having the client, or in this case, the client's family sign consent. This client cannot sign the consent form because the client is not in an alert state and is unable to communicate. If the client is not in a condition to sign the consent form, a family member may sign the consent form on the client's behalf. Advance directives are written statements identifying a competent person's wishes concerning terminal care and are not applicable here. A living will is an instructive form of advance directive; that is, it is a written document that identifies a person's preferences regarding medical interventions to use in a terminal condition, irreversible coma, or persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery. |
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Term
| A client informs the nurse about leaving the health care facility because the client is not satisfied with the treatment. The nurse knows that the client's treatment is incomplete and further testing and evaluations are scheduled. Which action by the nurse would be most appropriate to prevent false imprisonment? |
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Definition
Ask the client to sign a release without medical approval.
If a client wants to leave the health care facility, the nurse should ask the client to sign a release stating that the client left without medical approval. The nurse cannot restrain the client because it amounts to false imprisonment. Calling the health care provider may be seen by the client as a delay tactic, although the nurse should follow facility protocol. Additional options would include having the client meet with the health care provider or client advocate if the client was willing to remain for care while those actions were initiated. Telling the client that the client may not be able to access the health care facility again is an inappropriate response because health care is a right and the client can access it whenever necessary. |
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Term
| A client has asked that a nurse witness the signing of the client's will. What should the nurse do prior to witnessing this signature? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
Check to see whether state laws allow the nurse to witness this signature.
Assess the client’s state of mind.
Review the client’s medical record.
Talk to the client about why the client is signing the will now.
Rules regulating wills vary from state to state. The nurse should be sure that the client is of sound mind and not under the influence of mind-altering drugs. There is no requirement that beneficiaries leave the room. The nurse should know why the client is signing the will now to assess for possible coercion. |
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Term
| While walking through a park, the nurse encounters a child with a swollen and reddened arm that hurts to move due to being struck with a baseball bat. The nurse splints the arm using two baseball bats. The child is transported to the hospital and later develops compartmental syndrome in the arm. Which statement regarding the nurse's liability in this case is accurate? |
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Definition
The nurse is protected by the Good Samaritan Act, which states that the nurse may give emergency care using good judgment.
The nurse is protected by the Good Samaritan Act, which states the health practitioner may give emergency care in a prudent manner using good judgment. The nurse used two sturdy objects to immobilize the child’s arm; therefore, the nurse was not grossly negligent. A prudent nurse would have done the same. The Good Samaritan Act states that the health care practitioner is not obligated to assist; however, it protects the practitioner if the practitioner decides to render emergency care. |
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Term
| The nurse is providing care to a client whose condition has progressively declined. The nurse assesses and makes appropriate interventions as well as notifies the health care provider. Despite the nurse’s efforts, the client expires. What element of liability has the nurse demonstrated? |
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Definition
Duty
Duty refers to an obligation to use due care. The nurse assessed the client and made appropriate interventions and notifications. Breach of duty is the failure to meet the standard of care. An example of breach of duty would be not performing assessments, appropriate interventions, and notifications of the health care provider. Causation is when the breach of duty caused the injury. An example of causation would be failure to perform assessment and appropriate interventions when providing client care, and this caused injury to the client. Damages are the harm or injury that occurred to the client. In this situation, it would be the death of the client. |
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Term
| A student nurse is assisting an older adult client to ambulate following hip replacement surgery when the client falls and reinjures the hip. Who is potentially responsible for the injury to this client? |
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Definition
The student nurse, the nurse instructor, and the hospital
As a student nurse, you are responsible for your own acts, including any negligence that may result in client injury. A hospital may also be held liable for the negligence of a student nurse enrolled in a hospital-controlled program because the student is considered an employee of the hospital. The status of students enrolled in college and university programs is less clear, as is the liability of the educational institution in which they are enrolled and the health care agency offering a site for clinical practice. Nursing instructors may share responsibility for damages in the event of client injury if an assignment called for clinical skills beyond a student’s competency, or the instructor failed to provide reasonable and prudent clinical supervision. |
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Term
| Which statement made by the nurse providing care to a group of clients indicates that the nurse requires further education regarding negligence? |
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Definition
"I don't need to assess distal pulses on a client after a femoral arteriography."
Distal pulses should be checked immediately after a femoral arteriography; therefore, the nurse is negligent for checking three hours after the procedure. Fresh fruit may contain bacteria and further compromise a client with neutropenia. The Allen test confirms that there is proper circulation to the hand before drawing an ABG. The nurse checks breath sounds at least every 8 hours for adventitious sounds that may indicate aspiration. |
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Term
| Action has been taken against a nurse’s license based on a claim that the nurse acted outside of nursing’s scope of practice. The nurse’s attorney determines that the nurse needs more education about the purpose of the board of nursing when the nurse makes which statement? |
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Definition
| “The rules made by the board of nursing don’t reflect my practice.” |
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Term
| A nurse asks a coworker about the condition of the nurse's next-door neighbor, who has been admitted to the unit. If the coworker shares the neighbor's client information with the nurse, the coworker could be held liable for committing which act? |
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Definition
Invasion of privacy
Sharing a client’s confidential information without consent is an invasion of privacy. Assault is threatening to touch a person, such as applying restraints, without consent. When a person performs an act that a reasonable person would not do under the same circumstances, it is negligence. Defamation of character occurs when one makes statements about a person that could damage that person's reputation. |
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Term
| While a client admitted to the medical-surgical unit is in the radiology department, a visitor claiming to be the client’s cousin arrives on the medical-surgical unit and asks the nurse to provide a brief outline of the client’s illness. Which response by the nurse would be most appropriate, both legally and professionally? |
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Definition
“I cannot give you that information due to client confidentiality.”
Sharing a client’s information without the client's consent is an invasion of privacy. The nurse should not give out the information even if the visitor provides proof of a relationship without the client’s consent. It is inappropriate to call the client to ask for permission. The nurse claiming to be busy and offering to talk later does not address the issue but only delays it, perhaps leading the visitor to assume that the nurse will disclose information then. |
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Term
| 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? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
The nurse confirms informed consent was give 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.
Examples of legal safeguards for the nurse include the nurse confirming that informed consent was obtained from a client, the nurse educating the client about what to expect during the hospital stay, and the nurse documenting all client care in a timely manner. Legal safeguards for the nurse would not include the nurse executing health care provider's prescriptions without questioning them. Legal safeguards for the nurse would not include the nurse claiming management is responsible for inadequate staffing leading to negligence. Legal safeguards for the nurse would not include the health care provider being responsible for administration of a wrongly prescribed medication. |
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Term
| 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 statement is true regarding how the Good Samaritan law applies to this case? |
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Definition
The Good Samaritan law will provide legal immunity to the nurse.
The Good Samaritan laws provide legal immunity to passersby who provide emergency first aid to victims of accidents. Therefore, the law is applicable to the nurse in this scenario; moreover, Good Samaritan laws apply to those who do not accept any compensation for services provided. The law is equally applicable to everyone but does not provide absolute exemption from prosecution in cases of negligence. Paramedics, ambulance personnel, health care providers, and nurses who stop to provide assistance are still held to a higher standard of care because they have training above and beyond that of average lay people. In cases of gross negligence, health care workers may be charged with a criminal offense. |
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Term
| Professional regulations and laws that govern nursing practice are in place for which reason? |
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Definition
To protect the safety of the public
Governing bodies, professional regulations, and laws are in place to protect the public by ensuring that nurses are accountable for safe, competent, and ethical nursing practice. The other options do not describe accurately the role and responsibility of the governing bodies and the regulations and laws of nursing. |
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Term
| The nurse is providing care to a client who had orthopedic surgery. The nurse has medicated the client for pain. However, the client reports that the pain is unrelieved. The nurse takes no further action regarding assessment and intervention for the client’s pain. The nurse does not notify the surgeon regarding the client’s pain. The nurse's failure to take further action represents which element of liability in this case? |
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Definition
Breach of duty
Breach of duty is the failure to assess, intervene, or notify the health care provider regarding the client’s condition. It does not meet the expected standard of care. Duty refers to an obligation to use due care and is defined by the standard of care appropriate for the nurse–client relationship. Causation is when the failure to meet the standard of care caused injury. Damages are the harm or injury to the client. |
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Term
| A health care provider is called to see a client with angina. During the visit the health care provider advises the nurse to decrease the dosage of atenolol to 12.5 mg. However, because the health care provider is late for another visit, the health care provider requests that the nurse write down the order for the health care provider. What should be the appropriate nursing action in this situation? |
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Definition
The nurse should ask the health care provider to come back and write the order.
The nurse should ask the health care provider to come back and write down the order. Nurses are discouraged from following any verbal orders, except in an emergency. The nurse should never write an order on a health care provider's behalf because this is a wrong practice. The client should be informed about the change of medications, but this is not an appropriate action. The nurse should not leave the work for a later time, because the nurse may forget it. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
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. Fraud is willful and purposeful misrepresentation that could cause, or has caused, loss or harm to a person or property. Defamation of character is an intentional tort in which one party makes derogatory remarks about another that harm the other party's reputation. |
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Term
| Which statements made by a nurse would indicate to a nurse manager that the nurse requires further training? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
“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.”
Nurses should report errors and mistakes and complete incident reports themselves, not have supervisors do it. Documentation should be accurate, factual, complete, and timely. Nurses are accountable for any designated task. The nursing plan is part of the client’s permanent record. |
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Term
| A client has a prescription for amoxicillin 500 mg P.O. every 8 hours. The nurse administers the medication via the intravenous route. Based on the nurse’s action, the client develops complications and has an increased length of stay. The client files a lawsuit against the facility and the nurse. Which legal action has the nurse's attorney identified that meets the criteria for the client’s lawsuit? |
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Definition
Malpractice
The facility and nurse could be charged with malpractice, which is failing to perform (or performing) an act that causes harm to a client. Administering the medication intravenously instead of orally as prescribed has caused harm to a client. Negligence is failing to perform care for a client. When a person threatens to touch a client without consent, it is assault, whereas battery is carrying out the implied threat (assault). |
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Term
| The nurse attorney provides an educational session to the nursing staff on acts of negligence. Which responses by the staff would indicate to the attorney that the staff can accurately identify acts of negligence? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
“I can be charged with negligence if I apply a heating pad to the client’s skin and the client suffers a superficial or first-degree burn.”
“I can be charged with negligence if I notify the health care practitioner about a change in a client’s status but do not follow up or document.
Negligence occurs when a nurse fails to provide care that another nurse with the same educational background would perform. Applying heat and burning the client’s skin is not an act another prudent nurse would do. The nurse must act as the client’s advocate by following up and documenting when a health care provider does not respond to a change in the client’s condition. When a nurse follows correct policies for administering medications, follows the standards of care, and uses equipment in the correct manner, this eliminates the risk of practicing in a negligent manner. |
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Term
| 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?” Which is the most appropriate response by the nurse? |
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Definition
“Take it with you. It is recognized universally in the United States.”
A separate or different advance directive is not needed for each state; an advance directive can be used in any state, regardless of where it was created. The nurse should advise the client to take it when travelling out of state. The client should not assume that the family knows the client's wishes; the whole purpose of having an advance directive is to avoid the ambiguity and potential confusion that making such assumptions can cause. Other hospitals may not know who to contact to request a copy of the advance directive; therefore, it would be much safer for the client to take a copy of it while travelling. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
Slander
The nurse can be charged with slander, which is a verbal attack on a person's character. Libel pertains to damaging written statements read by others. Both libel and slander are considered defamation of character-an intentional tort in which one party makes derogatory remarks about another that diminish the other party's reputation. To be found guilty of slander or libel, the statement must be proved false. Negligence and malpractice pertain to actions which are committed or omitted, thereby causing physical harm to a client. |
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Term
| 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? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
“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.”
A nursing student is responsible and held liable for his or her own actions. The student is responsible for being familiar with the facility’s policies and procedures. The student is held to the same standards as a registered nurse, and should inform faculty when unprepared for an assignment. The student nurse puts the clinical faculty at risk by performing actions that are deemed negligent. |
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Term
| Professional regulations and laws that govern nursing practice are in place for which reason? |
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Definition
To protect the safety of the public
Governing bodies, professional regulations, and laws are in place to protect the public by ensuring that nurses are accountable for safe, competent, and ethical nursing practice. The other options do not describe accurately the role and responsibility of the governing bodies and the regulations and laws of nursing. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
Battery
The nurse has committed battery by unlawfully carrying out a procedure that the client had refused. Battery is an assault and includes negligent touching of another person’s body or clothes or anything attached to or held by that other person. Assault is the threat of touching another person without the person's consent. Defamation of character in spoken words is called slander. Libel is defamation of character in written words. |
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Term
| 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: |
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Definition
battery.
The nurse has committed battery by performing CPR against the client’s wishes. Assault occurs when a person threatens to touch a client without consent. Fraud is a willful and purposeful misrepresentation, whereas defamation occurs when a derogatory remark is made about another person. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
Health care institution
The health care institution determines the unit and institutional policies. These policies may vary from institution to institution. Such policies may include clinical procedures, policies specific to the institution, and personnel and employment policies. Unit and institutional-based policies are not derived from federal legislation, state legislation, or the board of nursing. |
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Term
| A new graduate wants to be knowledgeable about state-mandated rules to better practice within the scope of nursing. What are the best resources for this nurse to research? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
Nurse practice acts
Nursing educational requirements
Composition and disciplinary authority of board of nursing
Examples of state-mandated rules would include nurse practice acts, nursing educational requirements, and composition and disciplinary authority of boards of nursing. Delegation trees, medication administration, and Medicare and Medicaid provision for reimbursement of nursing services are not examples of state-mandated rules. |
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Term
| Which are examples of a nurse appropriately protecting a client’s privacy? Select all that apply. |
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Definition
With the client’s permission, the nurse explains the client’s diagnosis to the client’s spouse.
The nurse moves the client from the emergency department waiting room to a private area to collect assessment data.
To prevent invasion of privacy, all client information is considered confidential and private; this includes name and all identifiers (e.g., social security number, address, date of birth). With the client’s permission, the nurse may share information with the client's spouse. A client should be taken to a private, soundproof area to collect data. Unnecessary exposure of a client’s body, taking photos of a client, and questioning a client’s social life when it does not affect care planning are examples of invasion of privacy. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
Witnesses to a signature do not need to read the will.
Witnesses to the signature on a will do not need to read it, but they should be sure the document being signed is a will and not some other document. Witnesses should watch the testator sign the will, and they should sign it in the presence of each other. A beneficiary to a will is not allowed to act as a witness in most states. Two or three witnesses are most commonly required on a will. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
The nurse withholds the medication and notifies the health care practitioner.
Nurses are responsible for following the standards of care for their particular work area. A reasonably prudent nurse would withhold the medication and notify the health care practitioner. All other options put the client’s safety at risk and would not be done by a reasonably prudent nurse. |
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Term
| 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 health care provider's order or the client’s consent. The nurse is at risk of being accused of which action? |
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Definition
- Battery
Battery is intentional and wrongful physical contact with a person that entails an injury or offensive touching. Performing treatment without permission or receiving informed consent from the client might constitute both assault and battery. Judgments of battery suits have been based on the application of restraints to confused clients. Slander is a verbal attack on a person's character. Malpractice pertains to actions committed and negligence to actions omitted that cause physical harm to a client. |
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Term
| A nurse is providing care to two clients who are sharing the same room. The nurse is preparing to give one of the clients a complete bed bath. Which action by the nurse would suggest liability related to invasion of the client's privacy? |
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Definition
Keeping the curtain between the two clients in the room open
Invasion of privacy may occur with unnecessary exposure of clients while moving them through a corridor or while caring for them in rooms they share with others. Documenting a belief that the client was arrested would reflect libel. Removing a client's clothing forcibly is an example of battery. Applying restraints to contain the person in bed is an example of false imprisonment. |
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Term
| 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? |
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Definition
Assault
The staff member's statement reflects a threat of contact with another person without the person's consent. This is considered assault. Battery is an assault that is carried out and includes willful, angry, and violent or negligent touching of another's body or clothes (or anything attached to or held by that person). False imprisonment is the unjustified retention or prevention of the movement of another person without proper consent. This would apply if the staff member did in fact tie the client to the chair. Invasion of privacy involves the disclosure of information without the person's consent. |
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