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What is the best way for a nurse to avoid a lawsuit?
- A. Carry malpractice insurance.
- B. Spend time with the patient.
- C. Provide compassionate competent care.
- D. Answer all call lights quickly.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The best defense against a lawsuit is to provide compassionate and competent nursing care. Carrying malpractice insurance is prudent, but it will not avoid a lawsuit. Spending time with patients and answering call lights quickly will not necessarily help avoid a lawsuit.
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What is true about nurse practice acts?
- A. They informally define the scope of nursing practice.
- B. They provide for unlimited scope of nursing practice.
- C. Only some states have adopted a nurse practice act.
- D. The nurse must know the nurse practice act within his or her state.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The laws formally defining and limiting the scope of nursing practice are called nurse practice acts. All state, provincial, and territorial legislatures in the United States and Canada have adopted nurse practice acts, although the specifics they contain often vary. It is the nurse's responsibility to know the nurse practice act that is in effect for her geographic region.
The nurse has strong moral convictions that abortions are wrong. When assigned to assist with an abortion what is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?
- A. Ask for another assignment.
- B. Leave work.
- C. Transfer to another floor.
- D. Protest to the supervisor.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should not abandon the patient, but ask for another assignment.
A nurse working on an acute care medical surgical unit is aware that his or her first duty is to the patient's health safety and well-being. Given this knowledge which of the following is most necessary for the nurse to report?
- A. Unethical behavior of other staff members.
- B. A worker who arrives late
- C. Favoritism shown by nursing administration
- D. Arguments among the staff
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A member of the nursing profession must report behavior that does not meet established standards. Unethical behavior involves failing to perform the duties of a competent caring nurse.
During a lunch break an emergency department (ED) nurse truthfully tells another nurse about the condition of a patient who came to the ED last night. What is the ED nurse guilty of?
- A. HIPAA violation
- B. Slander
- C. Libel
- D. Invasion of privacy
- E. Defamation
Correct Answer: A,D
Rationale: The disclosure is an invasion of privacy and a violation of HIPAA. Because the information is true and verbal, it cannot be considered slander or libel.
A nurse failed to monitor a patient's respiratory status after medicating the patient with a narcotic analgesic. The patient's respiratory status worsened?. The patient's family claimed the nurse committed malpractice. What must be present for the nurse to be held liable?
- A. A nurse-patient relationship exists.
- B. The nurse failed to perform in a reasonable manner.
- C. There was harm to the patient.
- D. The nurse was prudent in her performance.
- E. The nurse did not cause the patient harm.
- F. Duty does not exist.
Correct Answer: A,B,C
Rationale: For the court to uphold the charge of malpractice, and to find the nurse liable, the following elements must be present: duty exists, there is a breach of duty, and harm must have occurred.