A nurse midwife is monitoring a client who is in labor. In early labor, the client was cooperative and followed the instructions given to her by the nurse midwife. Now during the second stage of labor, as the frequency and intensity of the contractions increase, the client is uncooperative. The client bears down although the nurse midwife advises her not to, shouts and curses at the nurse midwife because the anesthesia does not seem to work. The nurse midwife says, "If you don't stop cursing and start following my instructions, I'll break your legs and stick them down your throat." The nurse midwife could be charged with which legal tort?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse could be charged with assault. Assault is a wrongful and intentional action or statement that causes the client to feel immediate fear. Battery is intentional physical contact without the client's permission. Slander involves malicious and defamatory statements against another person. Intentional inflection of emotional distress involves an extreme action or conduct that causes another person to experience mental distress and anxiety.

A Nurse Midwife Is Monitoring a Client Who Is in Labor