Exam 7: Nursing and the Law: What Are the Rules?

A new LPN/LVN passes the NCLEX-PN examination and obtains licensure in state X. The LPN/LVN wishes to work in a state other than state X but is unsure of how to proceed. Which statement provides sound advice in this situation?

Patient A, who has Alzheimer's disease, wanders and is often noisy and intrusive. The patient has a prn order for haloperidol (Haldol) IM for assaultive behavior. At report, the LPN/LVN charge nurse explains that staffing is poor and she is unable to provide the supervision the patient needs. She directs the medication nurse to administer the patient's prn haloperidol q4h during the shift. This action constitutes

A nurse is found liable for battery. What does this mean?

The term used to describe a competent patient's agreement to have a surgical procedure after the physician explains the procedure, the desired outcome, possible complications, and possible alternative treatment is

In the following list, identify the instances of possible malpractice. (Select all that apply.)

An example of battery is

To function within the scope of the law, the nurse must know that the legal duties and functions of the nurse in a given state are determined by the

Civil law is concerned with

A nurse damages a patient's reputation by verbalizing private information about the patient to a third party. This is an example of

A nursing student is assigned to care for a patient who requires several technical procedures. The student was busy and did not prepare in advance for the assignment. In preconference, the student is unable to describe the care to be given. The instructor would be justified in

The instructor tells a student nurse, "You have functioned at a substandard level of clinical performance recently. Now you have a chance to redeem yourself. I'm assigning you to a complex nursing situation. I expect you to function without asking for assistance." The most appropriate response from the student nurse would be

With regard to HIPAA implementation, the LPN/LVN who is newly employed at a health care agency should

The student nurse caring for a patient with a large decubitus ulcer photographs the ulcer without obtaining permission from the patient. The patient developed the ulcer while being cared for at home by her physician husband. The student plans to give the patient's history and use the photograph in a paper she is writing. The instructor explains to the student that this action is unacceptable and could result in a court action for

A risk management strategy a nurse can use to prevent being named in malpractice lawsuits is

What is the nurse's responsibility regarding an improper medical order that, if carried out, may harm a patient?

A legal document that describes the kinds of medical or life-sustaining treatments the person would want if seriously or terminally ill is known as a ________________.

Which of the following is true regarding informed consent?

When documenting patient behavior, the LPN/LVN should

Legally, student practical/vocational nurses are held to the level of performance

An example of statutory law is