C HAPTER 23: L EGAL I MPLICATIONS IN
N URSING P RACTICE
Potter: Fundamentals of Nursing, 11th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. While recovering from a severe illness, a hospitalized patient wants to
change a living will, which was signed 9 months ago. Which response by
the nurse is most appropriate?
a. “Check with your admitting health care provider whether a copy is
on your chart. ”
b. “Let me check with someone here in the hospital who can assist
you.”
c. “You are not allowed to ever change a livin g will after signing it. ”
d. “Your living will can be changed onl y once each calendar year. ”
ANS: B
As long as the patient is not declared legall y incompetent or lacks the
capacit y to make decisions, living wills can be changed. It is the
nurse’s responsibi lity to find an appropriate person in the facilit y to
assist the patient. Checking with the health care provider about the
presence of a living will on the chart has nothing to do with the
patient’s desire to change the living will. The question states tha t the
patient wants to change a living will. A living will can be changed
whenever the patient decides to change it, as long as the patient is
competent.
, DIF: Anal yze (anal ysis) OBJ: Discuss how federal statutes
promote patient safety and affect nursing practice. TOP:
Communication and Documentation MSC: Management of Care
2. A home health nurse notices that a patient’s preschool children are often
playing on the sidewalk and in the street unsupervised and repeatedl y
takes them back to the home and talks with the patient, but the situation
continues. Which immediate action by the nurse is mandated by law?
a. Contact the appropriate communit y child protection facilit y.
b. Tell the parents that the authorities will be contacted shortl y.
c. Take pictures of the childr en to support the overt child abuse.
d. Discuss with both parents about the safety needs of their children.
ANS: A
The nurse has a dut y to report this situation to protect the children.
Any health care professional who does not report suspected child abuse
or neglect may be liable for civil or criminal legal action. Talking with
both parents is not mandated by law. There is no obligation to tell the
parents that they will be reported to authorities. There is no obligation
for the nurse to take pictures of the children.
DIF: Appl y (application) OBJ: Explain how state laws and
regulations affect nursing practice. TOP: Implementation
MSC: Management of Care
3. A confused patient with a urinary catheter, nasogastric tube, and
intravenous line keeps touching these needed items for care. The nurse has
tried to explain to the patient that these lines should not be touched, but
the patient continues. Which is the best action by the nurse at this time?
a. Appl y restraints loosel y on the patient’s dominant wrist.
b. Notify the health care provider that restraints are needed
immediatel y.
, c. Try other approaches to prevent the patient from touching these care
items.
d. Allow the patient to pull out lines to prove that the patient needs to
be restrained.
ANS: C
Restraints can be used when less restrictive interventions are not
successful. The nurse must try other approaches than just telling. The
situation states that the patient is touching the items, not trying to pull
them out. At this time, the patient’s well -being is not at risk so
restraints cannot be used at this time nor does the health care provider
need to be notified. Allowing the patient to pull out any of these items
to prove the patient needs to be restrained is not acceptable.
DIF: Appl y (application) OBJ: Explain how state laws and
regulations affect nursing practice. TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safet y and Infection Control
4. A patient has sued a post -surgical unit nurse who provided care after
abdominal surgery with nursing malpractice. Which resource would be
used to determine whether the nurse has acted in a prudent manner?
a. Scope and Standards of Nursing Care
b. The t ypical level of care provided by other unit nurses
c. The testimony of the patient’s primary health care provider
d. Comparison of documentation of the care provi ded by the nurse to
similar patients
ANS: A
N URSING P RACTICE
Potter: Fundamentals of Nursing, 11th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. While recovering from a severe illness, a hospitalized patient wants to
change a living will, which was signed 9 months ago. Which response by
the nurse is most appropriate?
a. “Check with your admitting health care provider whether a copy is
on your chart. ”
b. “Let me check with someone here in the hospital who can assist
you.”
c. “You are not allowed to ever change a livin g will after signing it. ”
d. “Your living will can be changed onl y once each calendar year. ”
ANS: B
As long as the patient is not declared legall y incompetent or lacks the
capacit y to make decisions, living wills can be changed. It is the
nurse’s responsibi lity to find an appropriate person in the facilit y to
assist the patient. Checking with the health care provider about the
presence of a living will on the chart has nothing to do with the
patient’s desire to change the living will. The question states tha t the
patient wants to change a living will. A living will can be changed
whenever the patient decides to change it, as long as the patient is
competent.
, DIF: Anal yze (anal ysis) OBJ: Discuss how federal statutes
promote patient safety and affect nursing practice. TOP:
Communication and Documentation MSC: Management of Care
2. A home health nurse notices that a patient’s preschool children are often
playing on the sidewalk and in the street unsupervised and repeatedl y
takes them back to the home and talks with the patient, but the situation
continues. Which immediate action by the nurse is mandated by law?
a. Contact the appropriate communit y child protection facilit y.
b. Tell the parents that the authorities will be contacted shortl y.
c. Take pictures of the childr en to support the overt child abuse.
d. Discuss with both parents about the safety needs of their children.
ANS: A
The nurse has a dut y to report this situation to protect the children.
Any health care professional who does not report suspected child abuse
or neglect may be liable for civil or criminal legal action. Talking with
both parents is not mandated by law. There is no obligation to tell the
parents that they will be reported to authorities. There is no obligation
for the nurse to take pictures of the children.
DIF: Appl y (application) OBJ: Explain how state laws and
regulations affect nursing practice. TOP: Implementation
MSC: Management of Care
3. A confused patient with a urinary catheter, nasogastric tube, and
intravenous line keeps touching these needed items for care. The nurse has
tried to explain to the patient that these lines should not be touched, but
the patient continues. Which is the best action by the nurse at this time?
a. Appl y restraints loosel y on the patient’s dominant wrist.
b. Notify the health care provider that restraints are needed
immediatel y.
, c. Try other approaches to prevent the patient from touching these care
items.
d. Allow the patient to pull out lines to prove that the patient needs to
be restrained.
ANS: C
Restraints can be used when less restrictive interventions are not
successful. The nurse must try other approaches than just telling. The
situation states that the patient is touching the items, not trying to pull
them out. At this time, the patient’s well -being is not at risk so
restraints cannot be used at this time nor does the health care provider
need to be notified. Allowing the patient to pull out any of these items
to prove the patient needs to be restrained is not acceptable.
DIF: Appl y (application) OBJ: Explain how state laws and
regulations affect nursing practice. TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safet y and Infection Control
4. A patient has sued a post -surgical unit nurse who provided care after
abdominal surgery with nursing malpractice. Which resource would be
used to determine whether the nurse has acted in a prudent manner?
a. Scope and Standards of Nursing Care
b. The t ypical level of care provided by other unit nurses
c. The testimony of the patient’s primary health care provider
d. Comparison of documentation of the care provi ded by the nurse to
similar patients
ANS: A
