A nurse is caring for a patient who states, "I just want to die." For the nurse to
comply with this request, the nurse should discuss:
A. living wills.
B. assisted suicide.
C. passive euthanasia.
D. advance directives. - ANSWERS-Answer: D
Rationale: Advance directives are written documents that outlay the patient's
wishes, should he or she become incapacitated.
Your patient is about to undergo a controversial orthopedic procedure. The
procedure may cause periods of pain. Although nurses agree to do no harm, this
procedure may be the patient's only treatment choice. This example describes the
ethical principle of:
A. autonomy.
B. fidelity.
C. justice.
D. nonmaleficence. - ANSWERS-Answer: D
Rationale: Sometimes to improve a patient's condition, it is necessary to perform
a procedure that will cause pain for the patient. The nurse must weigh the
benefits and the risks with the patient in his or her quest to do no harm.
,You are about to administer an oral medication and you question the dosage. You
should:
A. administer the medication.
B. notify the physician.
C. withhold the medication.
D. document that the dosage appears incorrect. - ANSWERS-Answer: B
Rationale: If you find one to be erroneous or harmful, further clarification from
the health care provider is necessary. If the health care provider confirms an
order and you still believe that it is inappropriate, use the agency chain of
command to inform your direct supervisor.
Tort - ANSWERS-a civil wrong made against a person or property. They are
classified as intentional, quasi-intentional, or unintentional.
Intentional torts are willful acts that violate another's rights. These include
assault, battery, and false imprisonment.
Intentional- Assault - ANSWERS-an intentional threat toward another person that
places the person in reasonable fear of harmful, imminent, or unwelcome
contact. No actual contact is required for an assault to occur.
Intentional- Battery - ANSWERS-any intentional offensive touching without
consent or lawful justification. The contact can be harmful to the patient and
cause an injury, or it merely can be offensive to the patient's personal dignity.
Battery also results if the health care provider performs a procedure that goes
beyond the scope of the patient's consent.
,Intentional- false imprisonment - ANSWERS-occurs with unjustified restraint of a
person without a legal reason. This occurs when nurses restrain a patient in a
confined area to keep the person from freedom. False imprisonment requires that
the patient be aware of the confinement.
Quasi-intentional torts - ANSWERS-Invasion of privacy
Defamation of character
- Slander
- Libel
Unintentional torts - ANSWERS-negligence and malpractice
invasion of privacy - ANSWERS-is the release of a patient's medical information to
an unauthorized person such as a member of the press, the patient's employer,
the patient's family, or online. The information that is in a patient's medical
record is a confidential communication that may be shared with health care
providers for the purpose of medical treatment only.
Do not disclose the patient's confidential medical information without his or her
consent. A patient must authorize the release of information.
Defamation of character - ANSWERS-is the publication of false statements that
result in damage to a person's reputation.
Slander - ANSWERS-occurs when one speaks falsely about another.
, Libel - ANSWERS-The written defamation of character
Negligence - ANSWERS-conduct that falls below the generally accepted standard
of care of a reasonably prudent person.
Malpractice - ANSWERS-is one type of negligence and often referred to as
professional negligence.
Certain criteria are necessary to establish nursing malpractice:
- The nurse (defendant) owed a duty of care to the patient (plaintiff).
- The nurse did not carry out or breached that duty.
- The patient was injured and the nurse's failure to carry out the duty caused the
injury.
Best way to avoid malpractice: - ANSWERS-to follow standards of care, give
competent health care, and communicate with other health care providers.
You are accountable for timely reporting of any significant changes in the
patient's condition to the health care provider and documenting these changes in
the medical record. If records are lost or incomplete, there is a presumption that
the care was negligent and therefore the cause of the patient's injuries.
Consent form - ANSWERS-must be signed; is necessary for admission to a health
care agency, invasive procedures such as intravenous central line insertion,
surgery, some treatment programs such as chemotherapy, and participation in
research studies.
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