Nokea
Which of the following actions can a nurse safely take without risk of liability?
- A. Questioning a doctor's written orders for medication
- B. Permitting a volunteer to move a patient
- C. Using a blood pressure cuff that is sometimes sticking
- D. Asking a family member to deliver routine medication to a patient's room
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Questioning a doctor's written orders for medication. Under the doctrine of respondent superior, nurses can face liability risks for various actions. Permitting volunteers to move patients, using malfunctioning equipment, or tasking unqualified staff can pose liability risks. Questioning medication orders is a responsibility to ensure patient safety. It is crucial for nurses to clarify any doubts or raise concerns about medication orders to prevent potential harm to patients.
You may also like to solve these questions
A visiting nurse becomes concerned about a caregiver daughter. Although she does not seem overburdened, she may be drinking too much. The recycling bin contains many wine bottles, and visitors come to the home. What action should the nurse take?
- A. Direct the daughter to a local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter
- B. Ignore the signs unless they interfere with caregiving
- C. Find a new caregiver in the family or outside of it
- D. Assess the daughter's motivation and ability to provide care
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take in this situation is to assess the daughter's motivation and ability to provide care. The nurse should not jump to conclusions based solely on the presence of wine bottles in the recycling bin. It is important to understand the daughter's overall capacity for caregiving and if her potential alcohol consumption is affecting her ability to provide care. Directing the daughter to Alcoholics Anonymous without a thorough assessment may not be appropriate at this stage. Ignoring the signs or immediately finding a new caregiver without understanding the daughter's situation may not address the underlying issue. Therefore, assessing the daughter's motivation and caregiving capabilities is the most appropriate initial step for the nurse.
A discharge planning nurse works with a wide variety of families when organizing care for older adults after their discharge from the hospital. Which of the following relationship structures would the nurse consider to be a family? Select all that apply.
- A. Mr. E and his partner, Mr. S, who live together in an apartment
- B. Mr. R and his new 'lady friend,' who began cohabiting 2 months ago
- C. Mrs. B and her daughter, son-in-law, and widowed sister, all of whom share a house
- D. Mr. R, who is estranged from his children and has lived with his brother, a bachelor, for several years
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. While not traditional nuclear family structures, all of the given relationships and living arrangements constitute family units. Mr. E and his partner, Mr. S, who live together in an apartment, form a family unit. Choice B is not considered a family as it describes a relatively new and non-committal relationship. Choice C describes a traditional family structure with Mrs. B, her daughter, son-in-law, and widowed sister sharing a house, which also constitutes a family unit. Choice D describes a situation where Mr. R is estranged from his children and living with his bachelor brother, which can also be considered a family unit but is not as inclusive as the relationship described in choice A.
Nurse R works on the geriatric medicine unit of the university hospital and provides care for numerous older adult clients nearing the end of life, many of whom have no-code orders. Which of the following situations is incompatible with the legal requirements for a no-code order?
- A. A client who is mentally competent has declared his wish to have a no-code order despite the availability of treatment options for his condition.
- B. A client has expressed her desire to have a no-code order but her daughter is adamantly opposed to it.
- C. A client clearly tells the nurse her desire to have a no-code order, which the nurse documents at the bedside.
- D. A client has been in a coma and the family has decided to put in place a no-code order.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C. No-code orders require a written and signed order by a physician. Therefore, a client expressing the desire for a no-code order to a nurse, without a documented physician's order, is incompatible with legal requirements. Choices A and B are not incompatible as competent clients can make their own decisions, regardless of treatment options or family opposition. Choice D is also not incompatible as family decisions can be made on behalf of incompetent clients.
A gerontological nurse is providing care at a local community health center that serves large black American and white American older adult populations. The nurse is working to develop culturally appropriate programs to meet each group's health needs and notes differences in health status between the groups. Which reason would the nurse most likely identify as accounting for the differences between the populations?
- A. High incidence of violent crime and sexually transmitted diseases in the black population
- B. Reliance on family for health care advice and rejection of formal service agencies in the white population
- C. Cultural preference for unconventional medical treatments like herbal remedies in the white population
- D. Lower standard of living and less access to health care services in the black population
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D. Black older adults historically possess many health problems that have accumulated over a lifetime due to a poor standard of living and limited access to health care services. Option A is incorrect because it presents stereotypes about the black population that are not supported by evidence. Option B is incorrect because it generalizes the behavior of the white population without a strong basis. Option C is incorrect as it also generalizes the white population and does not address the disparities in health status between the two groups.
Nurse M obtains a signature on an informed consent form from Mr. Y, who is later shown to have a fluctuating level of mental competency. In this case, what is Nurse M's most likely legal position?
- A. Freedom from liability because Mr. Y signed the form
- B. Possibly liable for a violation of Mr. Y's rights
- C. Liable unless a malpractice insurance policy is in effect
- D. Not liable because no family member had a durable power of attorney
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: An informed consent may be considered invalid if the patient does not fully understand what he or she is signing. Patients with a fluctuating level of mental function are incapable of granting legally sound consent. Nurse M could be held liable for a violation of Mr. Y's rights as he did not have the capacity to provide informed consent. The presence of an insurance policy and the legal status of family members are irrelevant in this context and do not absolve Nurse M of potential liability.