Author Question: Nursing practice is subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations. Which of the following ... (Read 59 times)

kamilo84 · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

Nursing practice is subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations. Which of the following actions is the clearest violation of criminal law?

A) A nurse left a patient's bed in a raised position and the patient subsequently fell.
B) A nurse withheld opioids from a patient and then sold them.
C) A nurse left the unit before her replacement had arrived.
D) A nurse applied restraints to a patient in alcohol withdrawal without first obtaining an
order.

Question 2

On a night shift, a nurse who provides care in an inpatient psychiatric setting admitted a patient with a recent history of violence but placed the patient in a two-bed room. The patient subsequently attacked and injured the other patient in the room.

Which of the following principles will be considered in the court's determination of liability?

A) The nurse may be held liable if institutional factors are not noted to have contributed to the
situation.
B) The nurse is exempt from liability if institutional protocols specify that room allocation is a
nursing responsibility.
C) The nurse may be held liable provided the action was a crime.
D) The nurse may be held liable if the action constituted a violation of the standard of care.

Sophiapenny · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Ans: B
Thefts and the sale of controlled substances are not only violations of professional
standards but also crimes. Abandoning patients, performing interventions without orders, or
committing an action that leads to injury are most often violations of civil law.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
A violation of the standard of care is likely to create a situation of legal liability for a
nurse. The violation need not be a crime, however. Institutional factors and protocols do not
negate the nurse's potential liability