Deck 5: Legal Foundations of Professional Nursing

Question 1

What is true about certification in nursing?

A)It is the same as registration.
B)It is the same as credentialing.
C)It is voluntary.
D)It can be obtained only in maternal-child health.

Answer 1

It is voluntary.

Question 2

The nurse works in a small hospital that uses narrative documentation rather than computer documentation.The nurse makes a practice of documenting care only at the end of the shift,just before giving shift report.Which aspect of documentation credibility does this most clearly violate?

A)It is contemporaneous.
B)It is accurate.
C)It is truthful.
D)It is appropriate.

Answer 2

It is contemporaneous.

Question 3

In which case can the physician and nurse initiate care without consent?

A)A 15-year-old female who requests treatment for acne.
B)An 80-year-old client presenting with the flu who seems to be confused.
C)A 35-year-old male who is unconscious and in shock following an auto accident.
D)A 6-year-old child with a possible broken arm brought to the emergency room by a teacher.

Answer 3

A 35-year-old male who is unconscious and in shock following an auto accident.

Question 4

The nurse educator is developing materials to educate hospital employees about sexual harassment.Which information should be included in these materials?

A)Victims of sexual harassment are always female.
B)Any sexual conduct,even if it is desired by both parties,is considered sexual harassment.
C)It includes unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
D)Sexual harassment occurs only in the workplace.

Question 5

A staff nurse continually tells sexually explicit jokes during shift report and frequently focuses those jokes on a newly hired nursing assistant.Who can make the charge of sexual harassment against this staff nurse?

A)Only the nursing assistant.
B)Only the staff nurse's supervisor.
C)Anyone affected by the offensive material.
D)Any person who hears the jokes.

Question 6

What happens when a federal law and a state law conflict?

A)Federal law supersedes state law.
B)State law supersedes federal law.
C)Both federal and state laws are superseded by local law.
D)The two types of law carry equal weight.

Question 7

The nurse has made a claim of sexual harassment against a coworker.What evidence must this nurse present?

A)The sexual advances occurred over a period of at least 6 weeks.
B)The conduct was explicit and was a condition of employment.
C)There was psychological damage from the conduct.
D)The actions created a hostile or abusive environment.

Question 8

Which option(s)are generally included in nurse practice acts? (Select all that apply. )

A)A definition of the authority of the board of nursing.
B)Specific guidelines for policy and procedures for nurses.
C)A definition of nursing.
D)The requirements for licensure.
E)Statements outlining clinical responsibilities of nurses.

Question 9

Which act requires that a copy of the client's advance health care directive be included in the client's medical record?

A)Good Samaritan Act
B)Americans with Disabilities Act
C)Patient Self-Determination Act
D)Nurse practice Act

Question 10

For which nurse would the concern about chemical abuse be most appropriate?

A)A nurse who avoids colleagues and friends and has frequent mood swings.
B)A nurse who requests night shifts because of increasing financial responsibilities.
C)A nurse who always comes to work 15 minutes early by bus.
D)A nurse who arrives late for work with the excuse of a flat tire.

Question 11

When an impaired nurse provides care,the primary concern should be for which victim?

A)The client
B)The nurse's colleagues
C)The impaired nurse
D)The healthcare facility where the nurse works

Question 12

A nurse who has been taking antihistamines for a head cold says these medications always make her "sleepy." Is this nurse impaired?

A)No;impairment means under the influence of alcohol.
B)Yes;any situation that clouds the nurse's professional vigilance can be thought of as impairment.
C)No;impairment from drug ingestion occurs only if the drugs are illegal.
D)The nurse is impaired only if he or she has taken more medication than is recommended by the medication literature.

Question 13

What is the first action the victim of sexual harassment should take?

A)Ignore the behavior,hoping it will decrease.
B)Confront the harasser and ask that the behavior stop.
C)Report the sexual harassment to the appropriate supervisor.
D)Report the sexual harassment to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Question 14

The advanced practice nurse is thinking of moving to another state.What information about regulation of advanced nursing practice is important for this nurse to consider?

A)Regulations are specified by each state.
B)This is a national regulation.
C)It is the same as the regulation of basic nursing practice within each state.
D)Specific,separate regulation for advanced practice is not necessary except for nurse anesthetists.

Question 15

A nurse has been sued for malpractice after a client received a wrong medication and required two additional days in the hospital.What type of legal action is most likely in this case?

A)Contract
B)Public
C)Criminal
D)Civil

Question 16

The nurse has been charged with malpractice.Which option reflects an element that must be present for this charge to be substantiated?

A)The nurse had no way of predicting that injury would result from the error.
B)The client had a duty to report what he or she was experiencing.
C)The nurse was providing care consistent with a national standard.
D)There was a causal relationship between the error and client injury.

Question 17

The nurse suspects that a coworker is impaired at work.What is this nurse's priority action?

A)Closely observe the coworker to gain evidence of impairment.
B)Plan to work with the person as a team to provide care.
C)Report the suspicion to the appropriate supervisor.
D)Confront the coworker with the suspicion.

Question 18

Which option is a major element of informed consent?

A)The physician,the nurse,and the client must agree on the treatment or procedure.
B)The consent must be given by family members as well as the client.
C)The client only needs to know the purpose of the treatment or procedure.
D)The consent must be given voluntarily.

Question 19

What are the primary sources of law? (Select all that apply. )

A)Statutes
B)Contract
C)Constitutions
D)Decisions of court
E)Federal

Question 20

A client was admitted to the medical unit after emergency treatment of hypertensive crisis.To which staff member should the charge nurse delegate or assign measurement of this client's vital signs?

A)A patient care technician
B)A nursing assistant
C)An LPN
D)An RN

Question 21

The nurse manager is concerned that a staff nurse will be sued for malpractice.In which order should the manager analyze information to make this determination?

A)The client was injured.
B)The nurse did not follow standards of care.
C)Nurse had a duty to follow standards of care.
D)The client's injury was caused by not following standards of care.
E)The nurse was aware that an injury could occur if standards not followed.

Question 22

Which organization was established by the American Nurses Association as the first labor union for registered nurses in the United States?

A)United American Nurses
B)National Labor for Nurses
C)United States Nurses United
D)American Federal Union of Nurses

Question 23

A new graduate is planning to delegate aspects of client care to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).Before completing this delegation,in which order should the graduate review the rights of delegation?

A)Task
B)Person
C)Circumstance
D)Supervision and evaluation
E)Direction and communication

Question 24

The nurse educator asks the student whether the American Nurses Association supports striking as a strategy when collective bargaining breaks down.Which response,made by the student,reflects the best understanding of the ANA's position?

A)"No,the organization holds that striking is not professional."
B)"Only when no direct client care is delivered in the area affected by work stoppage."
C)"Only when the daily operation of the healthcare facility is not compromised."
D)"Yes,as a means of achieving economic and general welfare."

Question 25

Are nurses who work as team leaders,overseeing the nursing care provided by other nurses,considered supervisors by the National Labor Relations Act?

A)Yes;these nurses are supervising others.
B)They are considered supervisors only if they supervise more than three other nurses.
C)There is still debate over this issue.
D)No;there is too much variation in a team leader's day-to-day responsibilities.