Exam 7: Legal and Ethical Guidelines for Safe Practice

A voluntarily hospitalized patient tells the nurse,"Get me the forms for discharge.I want to leave now." Select the nurse's best response.

Select the example of a tort.

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.

What is the legal significance of a nurse's action when a patient verbally refuses medication and the nurse gives the medication over the patient's objection? The nurse:

Which intervention by a psychiatric nurse best applies the ethical principle of autonomy? The nurse:

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:

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

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

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 shows a breach of a patient's right to privacy?

The family of a patient whose insurance will not pay for continuing hospitalization considers transferring the patient to a public mental hospital.They express concern that the patient will be "never get any treatment." Which reply by the nurse would be most helpful?

In which situations would a nurse have the duty to intervene and report? Select all that apply.

A community mental health nurse worked for 6 months to establish a relationship with a delusional and suspicious patient.The patient is fired from employment,has no money for medication,and decompensates within 1 week.Should the patient be hospitalized or provided with medication and allowed to remain at home? Which two ethical principle(s)are most relevant to the team's decision making?

A patient approaches the charge nurse and says,"I want to talk to the mental health advocate immediately about getting released." The unit has no patient phone,and agency policy does not permit patients to enter the nurses' station.Select the nurse's best initial action(s).You may select more than one answer.

Which action by a psychiatric nurse best supports the right of patients to be treated with dignity and respect?

A nurse at the mental health center prepares to administer a scheduled injection of haloperidol decanoate (Haldol depot)to a patient with schizophrenia.As the nurse swabs the site,the patient shouts,"Stop,stop.I don't want to take that medicine anymore because I hate the side effects." Select the nurse's first action.

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

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

A patient with schizophrenia believes a local minister stirred evil spirits and threatens to bomb a local church.The psychiatrist notifies the minister.Select the answer with the correct rationale.The psychiatrist:

Two hospitalized patients fight when they are in the same room.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: