Question 1

A nurse arrives at the scene of a motor vehicle accident. A person in the vehicle mumbles incoherently when asked his name. Which actions are not covered by the Good Samaritan Law? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  Using two magazines and a bandana to splint a broken arm 
B)  Applying a tourniquet to a lacerated leg while awaiting emergency personnel 
C)  Pulling the individual from the surface of the highway 
D)  Initiating an emergency tracheotomy when the individual goes into respiratory arrest 
E)  Compressing a bleeding wound with a soiled shirt

Question 2

If a nurse is reported to a state board of nursing for repeatedly making medication errors, it is most likely that:

Accepted Answer

A)  the nurse will immediately have his or her license revoked. 
B)  the nurse will have to take the licensing examination again. 
C)  a course in legal aspects of nursing care will be required. 
D)  there will be a hearing to determine whether the charges are true.

Question 3

A student nurse who is not yet licensed:

Accepted Answer

A)  may not perform nursing actions until he or she has passed the licensing examination. 
B)  is not responsible for his or her actions as a student under the state licensing law. 
C)  are held to the same standards as a licensed nurse. 
D)  must apply for a temporary student nurse permit to practice as a student.

Question 4

An example of a violation of criminal law by a nurse is:

Accepted Answer

A)  taking a controlled substance from agency supply for personal use. 
B)  accidentally administering a drug to the wrong patient, who then has a serious reaction. 
C)  advising a patient to sue the doctor for a supposed mistake the doctor made. 
D)  writing a letter to the newspaper outlining questionable or unsafe hospital practices.

Question 5

The commonalities of The Codes of Ethics of the National Association for Practical Education and Service (NAPNES) and The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (NFLPN) include: (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

A)  commitment to continuing education. 
B)  respect for human dignity. 
C)  maintenance of competence. 
D)  requirement for membership in a national organization. 
E)  preserving the confidentiality of the nurse-patient relationship.

Question 6

A nurse remarks to several people that "Dr. X must be getting senile because she makes so many mistakes." If that remark results in some of Dr. X's patients changing to another doctor, Dr. X would have grounds to sue the nurse for:

Accepted Answer

A)  slander. 
B)  libel. 
C)  invasion of privacy. 
D)  negligence.

Question 7

To best protect himself or herself from being sued, the nurse should:

Accepted Answer

A)  continue to do procedures as taught in school. 
B)  purchase malpractice insurance. 
C)  maintain competency. 
D)  use evidence-based practice.

Question 8

The Occupational Safety and Health Act includes all of the following, except:

Accepted Answer

A)  regulations for handling infectious materials. 
B)  radiation and electrical equipment safeguards. 
C)  staffing ratios and delegation criteria. 
D)  regulations for handling toxic materials.

Question 9

A characteristic of an advance directive is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  advance directives do not expire. 
B)  only some states recognize advance directives. 
C)  advance directives can be nonverbal. 
D)  advance directives from one state are recognized by another.

Question 10

Ethics and law are different from each other in that ethics:

Accepted Answer

A)  bear a penalty if violated. 
B)  are voluntary. 
C)  rarely change. 
D)  can always direct all decisions.

Question 11

The nurse explains that a sentinel event is a situation in which a patient:

Accepted Answer

A)  refuses care. 
B)  is accidentally exposed. 
C)  leaves the hospital against medical advice. 
D)  comes to harm.

Question 12

A person who has been brought to the emergency room after being struck by a car insists on leaving, although the doctor has advised him to be hospitalized overnight. The nurse caring for this patient should:

Accepted Answer

A)  have him sign a Leave Against Medical Advice (AM
A)  form. 
B)  tell him that he cannot leave until the doctor releases him. 
C)  immediately begin the process of involuntary committal. 
D)  contact the person's health care proxy to assist in the decision-making process.

Question 13

A postoperative patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) is so confused and agitated that staff have not been able to safely care for him. He has pulled out his central line once, and he slides to the bottom of the bed, where he attempts to climb out, pulling and disrupting the various tubes and monitors. The nurse's best course of action is to:

Accepted Answer

A)  place him in a protective vest device. 
B)  use a sheet to tie him in a chair at the nurses' station. 
C)  request that the doctor write an order for a protective device and/or medication. 
D)  call a family member to stay with the patient.

Question 14

The most frequently cited cause of a sentinel event by the Joint Commission is a problem in:

Accepted Answer

A)  applying physical restraints. 
B)  methods of patient transportation. 
C)  medication errors. 
D)  inadequate communication.

Question 15

A patient has advance directives spelled out in a durable power of attorney, with the appointment of his daughter as his health care agent. The daughter will be responsible for:

Accepted Answer

A)  paying all the medical bills associated with the father's illness. 
B)  making all informed consent decisions for her father. 
C)  making all choices about her father's health care if the father is unable. 
D)  paying only for those health care decisions based on the advance directives.

Question 16

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's (HIPAA) main focus is in keeping:

Accepted Answer

A)  patients safe from harm. 
B)  patient information in a secure office area. 
C)  medications in a locked area. 
D)  hospital infections under control.

Question 17

A patient has signed a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. If a nurse performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when the patient stops breathing and then successfully revives the patient, the:

Accepted Answer

A)  nurse could be found guilty of battery. 
B)  patient would have no grounds for legal action. 
C)  patient could charge the nurse with false imprisonment. 
D)  nurse could be found guilty of assault.

Question 18

Nursing liability insurance is a policy purchased and put into effect by the nurse for the purpose of:

Accepted Answer

A)  providing protection against being sued. 
B)  reducing the chance of litigation. 
C)  paying attorney fees and any award won by the plaintiff. 
D)  providing the hospital with added protection.

Question 19

A 48-year-old man refuses to take a medication ordered for the control of his blood pressure. The nurse's most effective response would be:

Accepted Answer

A)  "Your doctor expects you to be compliant." 
B)  "You have the right to refuse. This medication keeps your blood pressure under control." 
C)  "Fine. I will document that you are refusing this drug." 
D)  "Are you aware that you could have a stroke?"

Question 20

An elderly, slightly confused patient sustains an injury from a heating pad that was wrongly applied by the nurse. The nurse should:

Accepted Answer

A)  pretend to be unaware of the injury to the patient. 
B)  report the incident to the risk management team via an incident report. 
C)  document in the patient's medical record that an incident report was filled out. 
D)  not document anything about the injury in the patient's medical record.

Exam 3: Legal and Ethical Aspects of Nursing