A licensed practical/vocational nurse cared for a client who was ...

[APUS57]

A licensed practical/vocational nurse cared for a client who was bedridden at his home. The nurse did not regularly turn the client, or provide care after the client was incontinent of urine and stool.
 
  The client developed a stage 3 pressure ulcer on his buttocks. He became very ill and had to be admitted to the hospital with sepsis (the infected pressure ulcer infection spread throughout the bloodstream). The client died. Which best describes what occurred?
  A) The nurse cared for the client in the particular situation the same way a prudent nurse would have.
  B) The nurse committed gross negligence as a result of not providing care a prudent nurse would have provided in the same situation.
  C) The nurse committed negligence because of not providing the care a prudent nurse would have provided in the same situation.
  D) The nurse intentionally physically abused the client, resulting in death, which constitutes murder.

Question 2

A licensed practical/vocational nurse works at a local hospital that provides malpractice coverage for their nurses. The nurse volunteered at a girls' camp for a week.
 
  The nurse provided the wrong nursing advice, and a child suffered complications from an injury as a result of the nurse's actions, leading to a malpractice lawsuit. Which statement best describes malpractice insurance coverage in this incident?
  A) The nurse does not need a separate policy for malpractice insurance because the hospital carries the policy covering the nurse on and off duty as long as she is employed at the hospital.
  B) The nurse does not have a separate policy for malpractice and will be liable for any damages because the hospital policy only covers the hospital and the nurse working at the hospital.
  C) The nurse's home owner's insurance will cover her under personal liability, so she does not need a separate policy for malpractice since she was providing the nursing care as a volunteer.
  D) The camp's liability insurance should cover the expenses for the nurse's malpractice claim since the nurse does not have a personal policy for malpractice insurance.

[jointhecircus]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
Feedback:
The nurse did not act in a way that a prudent nurse (a nurse with the same level of education and experience in the same situation) would have acted because nursing students are taught from the beginning of the schooling to turn a client who cannot at least every 2 hours and to check a client with every turn for incontinence and cleanse and dry the skin. The definition of gross negligence is met by the nurse not providing adequate care resulting in significant harm to the client, and in this case death from sepsis resulting from the pressure ulcer that arises from not relieving pressure to dependent areas of the body lying in one position for too long of a time. The nurse shows no intent to physically abuse or murder the client.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: B
Feedback:
The hospital malpractice insurance is purchased to protect the hospital, and the nurses employed to cover malpractice claims while the nurse is working at the institution. The hospital malpractice insurance does not cover volunteer activities. Home owner's insurance covers personal liability for nonmedical situations that may arise at the home, such as not clearing a sidewalk of ice and someone falls suffering an injury and sues the homeowner. The camp may carry liability insurance to cover an accidental injury that may occur at the camp, for instance. The camp's liability insurance does not cover the nurse who provides ill advice resulting in an injury. Since the nurse failed to carry a separate policy for malpractice, the nurse is totally liable for her actions.