(Ch.45) CH 39 legal accountability

A 15-year-old patient who is at 39 weeks gestation is transported by her mother to the emergency department (ED) of a private hospital. The patient reports she is in active labor. The patient's mother states, "We don't have any money or insurance, but this hospital is closer than the public hospital." Which action does the ED nurse implement?

Examine the patient to determine whether her condition is stable or whether she requires immediate medical attention.

An alert, oriented, 87-year-old patient has just been diagnosed with cancer. According to the patient's durable power of attorney, the patient's son serves as the patient's surrogate decision maker. The patient's son tells the nurse he is refusing chemotherapy treatment on the patient's behalf due to concerns about medication side effects and quality of life. Meanwhile, the patient states, "I want to receive chemotherapy." Which action does the nurse take?

Administer the patient's chemotherapy treatment as ordered.

The charge nurse lists the nurses' patient assignments and the patients' diagnoses on a whiteboard located at the nurse's station. The charge nurse's practice represents a violation of which federal regulation?

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

A 75-year-old patient is admitted to the emergency department (ED) for evaluation of confusion and memory loss. The initial patient assessment reveals bruises and scratches in various stages of healing on the patient's arms, legs, and torso. Based on the assessment findings, the nurse suspects the patient may be a victim of physical abuse. Which legislation requires the nurse to notify a designated authority about the suspected abuse?

Mandatory reporting laws

Which aspect of patient care is guaranteed by the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics for Nurses?

Protecting the patient from misrepresentation

The charge nurse in a progressive care unit assigns the care of a patient receiving hemodialysis to a newly hired licensed practical nurse (LPN). The charge nurse does not ask whether or not the LPN is competent in caring for patients who are receiving hemodialysis. The LPN is in orientation and fails to inform the charge nurse that she does not have experience with patients who are undergoing hemodialysis treatments. Which term best describes the charge nurse's actions?

Negligence

Under which circumstance is deferral of informed consent allowable?

The patient who is in cardiac arrest is transported to the emergency department without accompaniment by family members

A 4-year-old patient is transported to the emergency department by his mother. The patient presents with bruising on his chest and facial contusions. The patient’s mother reports that her boyfriend became angry and intentionally pushed the patient down the stairs. The patient appears to be experiencing significant pain. Which action does the nurse take first?

Complete a physical assessment of the child.

The nurse provides care to an alert, oriented adult patient who is recovering from abdominal surgery. During a period of frustration, the patient states, "I'm leaving the hospital. Remove my IV and surgical drains or I will do it myself." In an effort to prevent the patient from removing the IV line and surgical drainage tubing, the nurse applies bilateral wrist restraints. Which terminology best describes the nurse's actions?

False imprisonment

The nurse is assigned to provide care to an older adult patient who is experiencing confusion. After completing the patient's physical assessment, the nurse forgets to raise the siderails on the patient's bed. Later in the day, the patient falls out of bed and sustains a hip fracture. The nurse is most likely to be sued on which grounds?

Malpractice

A nurse who administers the wrong medication to a patient does not notify anyone of the error. Instead, the nurse documents administration of the correct medication. Ultimately, the error is discovered and the nurse is reported to the state board of nursing. Which action does the state board of nursing take against the nurse in this situation?

Disciplinary action against the nurse's license to practice

The nurse provides care to a patient who is diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The nurse explains to the patient that the STI diagnosis must be reported to the local Health department based on which regulation?

Mandatory reporting

The night shift nurse is assigned to care for a patient who is confused and who frequently attempts to climb out of bed. During one of the patient's attempts to get up, the nurse pushes the patient back onto the bed. The nurse then shows the patient a set of limb restraints and states, "If you keep trying to get up, I will tie you to the bed and leave you there until tomorrow morning." The nurse's actions are best described as

Assault and battery

The unit manager stops the staff nurse in the hallway to discuss concerns about the staff nurse's delivery of unsafe patient care. The unit manager's comments are based on false information reported by a disgruntled patient. The conversation is overheard by other members of the healthcare team. Which term describes the unit manager's behavior?

Slander

The nurse enters a patient's room with a portable computer station to assess the patient. The nurse does not log out while assisting a patient to the bathroom. A visitor reads the patient's health record and begins to question the nurse about the patient information. This is an example of:

Breach of confidentiality

The nursing student asks the nurse preceptor to explain the purpose of accurate documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). Which response does the nurse choose?

"Charting communicates to members of the healthcare team the patient's care and responses during my shift."

The staff nurse asks the clinical nurse leader to explain the main purpose of an incident report. Which response does the clinical nurse leader choose?

"The risk management team uses incident reports to prevent the incident from recurring."

Effective delegation is a vital part of the nurse's responsibilities. Which factor is most important for the nurse to consider when correctly delegating a nursing task?

The delegatee's level of experience

Which issue is directly addressed by Safe Harbor laws?

Guarantee of peer review

Which nursing action constitutes invasion of privacy? Select all that apply.

Searching the patient's belongings without permission

Reviewing the patient's plan of care with nursing team members in the hospital cafeteria

Photographing a patient's leg wound without patient consent