C HAPTER 02: E THICAL AND L EGAL I SSUES
Urden: Priorities in Critical Care Nursing, 8th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What is the legal standard of care for a nurse’s actions?
a. Minimal competency under the state Nurse Practice Act
b. The abilit y to distinguish what is right or wrong for the patient
c. The demonstration of satisfactory knowledge of policies and
procedures
d. The care that an ordinary prudent nurse would perform under the
same circumstances
ANS: D
The legal standard of care for nurses is established by expert testimony
and is generall y “the care that an ordinarily prudent nurse would
perform under the same circumstances.”
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding OBJ:
Nursing Process Step: N/A TOP: Ethical and Legal Issues
MSC: NC LEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment:
Coordinated Care
2. A patient is admitted with chest pain with evidence of elevated ST
segments. The nurse bases the plan of care on the diagnosis of
pneumonia. What t ype of negligence may be present?
a. Assessment failure
, b. Planning failure
c. Implementation failure
d. Evaluation failure
ANS: B
Basing nursing care on an erroneous dia gnosis is a failure in planning.
Standards of care include assessment, the collection of relevant data
pertinent to the patient’s health or situation; diagnosis, anal ysis of the
assessment data in determining diagnosis and care issues;
implementation, coor dinating care delivery and plan and using
strategies to promote health and a safe environment; and evaluation,
evaluation of the progress of the patient toward attaining outcomes.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Anal yzing OBJ: Nursing
Process Step: Planning TOP: Ethical and Legal Issues MSC:
NCLEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Coordinated Care
3. What is an injury resulting from the failure to meet an ordinary dut y
called?
a. Negligence
b. Malpractice
c. Assault
d. Battery
ANS: A
Injury resulting from the failure to meet an ordinary dut y or standard
of care is negligence. Malpractice is a specialized form of negligence.
Assault and battery are examples of intentional acts.
Urden: Priorities in Critical Care Nursing, 8th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. What is the legal standard of care for a nurse’s actions?
a. Minimal competency under the state Nurse Practice Act
b. The abilit y to distinguish what is right or wrong for the patient
c. The demonstration of satisfactory knowledge of policies and
procedures
d. The care that an ordinary prudent nurse would perform under the
same circumstances
ANS: D
The legal standard of care for nurses is established by expert testimony
and is generall y “the care that an ordinarily prudent nurse would
perform under the same circumstances.”
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding OBJ:
Nursing Process Step: N/A TOP: Ethical and Legal Issues
MSC: NC LEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment:
Coordinated Care
2. A patient is admitted with chest pain with evidence of elevated ST
segments. The nurse bases the plan of care on the diagnosis of
pneumonia. What t ype of negligence may be present?
a. Assessment failure
, b. Planning failure
c. Implementation failure
d. Evaluation failure
ANS: B
Basing nursing care on an erroneous dia gnosis is a failure in planning.
Standards of care include assessment, the collection of relevant data
pertinent to the patient’s health or situation; diagnosis, anal ysis of the
assessment data in determining diagnosis and care issues;
implementation, coor dinating care delivery and plan and using
strategies to promote health and a safe environment; and evaluation,
evaluation of the progress of the patient toward attaining outcomes.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Anal yzing OBJ: Nursing
Process Step: Planning TOP: Ethical and Legal Issues MSC:
NCLEX: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Coordinated Care
3. What is an injury resulting from the failure to meet an ordinary dut y
called?
a. Negligence
b. Malpractice
c. Assault
d. Battery
ANS: A
Injury resulting from the failure to meet an ordinary dut y or standard
of care is negligence. Malpractice is a specialized form of negligence.
Assault and battery are examples of intentional acts.
