Exam 6: Legal and Ethical Guidelines for Safe Practice

A new antidepressant is prescribed for an elderly patient with major depression,but the dose is more than the usual geriatric dose.The nurse should:

Which action by a nurse constitutes a breach of a patient's right to privacy?

Which individual with mental illness may need emergency or involuntary admission? The individual who:

In a team meeting a nurse says,"I'm concerned about whether we are behaving ethically by using restraint to prevent one patient from self-mutilation,while the care plan for another self-mutilating patient requires one-on-one supervision." Which ethical principle most clearly applies to this situation?

A patient with psychosis became aggressive,struck another patient,and required seclusion.Select the best documentation.

Which documentation of a patient's behavior best demonstrates a nurse's observations?

Two hospitalized patients fight whenever they are together.During a team meeting,a nurse asserts that safety is of paramount importance,so treatment plans should call for both patients to be secluded to keep them from injuring each other.This assertion:

A nurse is concerned that an agency's policies are inadequate.Which understanding about the relationship between substandard institutional policies and individual nursing practice should guide nursing practice?

A nurse prepares to administer a scheduled injection of haloperidol decanoate (Haldol depot)to an outpatient with schizophrenia.As the nurse swabs the site,the patient shouts,"Stop! I don't want to take that medicine anymore.I hate the side effects." Select the nurse's best action.

Which individual diagnosed with a mental illness may need involuntary hospitalization? An individual:

After leaving work,a nurse realizes documentation of administration of a PRN medication was omitted.This off-duty nurse phones the nurse on duty and says,"Please document administration of the medication for me.My password is alpha1." The nurse receiving the call should:

A patient in alcohol rehabilitation reveals to the nurse,"I feel terrible guilt for sexually abusing my 6-year-old before I was admitted." Select the nurse's most important action.

A nurse finds a psychiatric advance directive in the medical record of a patient experiencing psychosis.The directive was executed during a period when the patient was stable and competent.The nurse should:

A newly admitted acutely psychotic patient is a private patient of the medical director and a private-pay patient.To whom does the psychiatric nurse assigned to the patient owe the duty of care?

A family member of a patient with delusions of persecution asks the nurse,"Are there any circumstances under which the treatment team is justified in violating a patient's right to confidentiality?" The nurse should reply that confidentiality may be breached:

A patient experiencing psychosis asks a psychiatric technician,"What's the matter with me?" The technician replies,"Nothing is wrong with you.You just need to use some self-control." The nurse who overheard the exchange should take action based on:

Insurance will not pay for continued private hospitalization of a mentally ill patient.The family considers transferring the patient to a public hospital but expresses concern that the patient will not get any treatment if transferred.Select the nurse's most helpful reply.

Select the example of a tort.

Which actions violate the civil rights of a psychiatric patient? The nurse: (select all that apply)

An adolescent hospitalized after a violent physical outburst tells the nurse,"I'm going to kill my father,but you can't tell anyone." Select the nurse's best response.