Health Care Ethics, Law, and Policy

Which statement is true regarding professional liability insurance for a nurse who is sued in a wrongful death case?

The patient has accused the nurse of stabbing him with a syringe on purpose because he would not remain still during the procedure. If true, the nurse is guilty of which infraction?

A nurse is assigned to care for a terminally ill patient who is of the orthodox Jewish faith. The nurse anticipates the patient will have which opinion of organ donation?

The surgeon is attempting to obtain informed consent from a capable patient about to undergo a surgical procedure who says he is squeamish and doesn’t wish to know any details about the procedure. Which statement is correct regarding informed consent for this patient?

The patient with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) wishes his diagnosis to remain confidential. The patient’s insurance company calls to ask questions about the diagnosis prior to releasing payment for his medical treatment. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

A hospital administrator requests access to the medical record of a patient with a terminal illness for a quality review project. Which action does the nurse take?

The nurse mistakenly gives the patient with malignant hypertension the wrong dose of antihypertensive medication, and the patient complains of several hours of dizziness. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse receives a telephone order from the healthcare provider for intravenous pain medication to be administered to a patient with cancer pain. Which statement is correct regarding this medication order?

A nurse suspects that a co-worker is abusing drugs and is under the influence while at work. Which action does the nurse take?

The nurse hears the patient calling for help and enters the room to find the patient on the floor. One of the side rails is down on the bed. Which documentation is most appropriate?

The nurse has just assisted an elderly client safely back into bed after a fall, and it has been determined by the nurse and the provider that no injury is present. After submitting an incident report form, which nursing action is the priority?

The nurse makes an error while documenting a patient’s history. Which action does the nurse take to correct the error?

The patient who is admitted for surgery for resection of a malignant lung tumor has a living will. In addition to making sure a copy of the living will is included with the patient’s electronic medical record, which action does the nurse take?

The nurse attempts, but is unable, to contact the provider to clarify a prescription that is much higher than the normal dosage. Which action by the nurse is appropriate?

The nurse is assigned to care for a diabetic patient with a non-healing leg wound. Which task does the nurse delegate to an unlicensed assistive personnel?

Which patient is triaged as first to be treated following a hurricane?

The patient is brought to the emergency department following an accident with significant burns. The patient is conscious and alert with 3rd-degree burns over 50% of his body. The nurse helps to get a history and perform a thorough physical examination of this patient. Which type of assessment is the nurse performing?

The nurse is helping to ambulate a patient who is recovering from hip surgery and is a fall risk. An unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) tells the nurse that another one of her assigned patients is in severe pain and requires pain medication. Which is the most appropriate action?

Which is the most appropriate patient assignment to assign to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

The charge nurse is making patient assignments for an unlicensed assistive personnel, a registered nurse, and a licensed vocational/practical nurse. Which patient is the most appropriate assignment for the LVN/LPN?

Which tool is most effective for promoting safety when ambulating an elderly patient who is a fall risk?

The provider orders physical restraints for a patient in alcohol withdrawal who is delirious, combative, and a fall risk. Which statement is true regarding use of physical restraints for this patient?

The patient with neurosyphilis who has attempted to stab the nurse with scissors, pulled out several IVs, and is a fall risk is placed in wrist restraints per physician order. How frequently does the nurse assess the patient’s skin integrity?

The nurse is called to the hospital to assist in caring for patients brought to the hospital following a massive gas explosion in the community. Which statement is true regarding the nurse’s involvement with this incident?

The nurse is supervising the care of a patient with a wound infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Which action by the student nurse would prompt the nurse to intervene?

A unit has experienced a significant rise in the incidence of hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs). Which action item will be most effective to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired UTIs?

The nurse is teaching a nursing student about hand washing. Which statement by the nursing student indicates understanding of the teaching?

During a lumbar puncture, which event warrants immediate intervention by the nurse?

Which task is most appropriate for the registered nurse to delegate to an unlicensed assistive personnel?

Which patient must be triaged for emergency department care first?

The patient requiring mechanical ventilation is dying of tuberculosis and is responsive only to tactile and painful stimulation. The family would like to give him holy water to drink in order to have peace in the afterlife. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?

Which event is an example of negligence?

A person in the hospital pulls out a firearm and starts shooting patients and staff at random in the emergency department. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

A patient with a documented Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order suddenly develops pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Which intervention by the nurse is most appropriate?

Which interventions does the nurse implement for the patient diagnosed with Clostridium difficile? Select all that apply.

A patient with a signed Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order suddenly becomes unresponsive and goes into cardiac arrest. His wife, who is his healthcare power of attorney, starts yelling hysterically, “Do everything you can! Save him! I don’t care that he didn’t want to be resuscitated, he would want to live for me!” Which action by the nurse is best?

The nurse is assessing the patient in the emergency room who is complaining of severe joint pain. Which term does the nurse use to document this complaint?

The nurse is caring for a 48-year-old female diagnosed with acute kidney injury. Laboratory results reveal that the patient is experiencing mild hyperkalemia. Which independent nursing action is appropriate to manage the patient's hyperkalemia?

The nurse is supervising the student nurse passing medications on the medical surgical floor. The nurse allows the patient to continue after which verbalization to the patient? 

The parents of a 12-year-old girl with severe anemia decline a blood transfusion because it is against their religion. When responding to the parent's decision, the nurse utilizes which ethical principle?

The nurse is caring for a patient receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). After morning rounds, the nurse notices the rate of TPN infusion is slower than what is ordered for the patient and is three hours behind schedule. There are no nursing notes, and the rate was not mentioned on sign-out. Which initial action is most appropriate?

The nurse is assigned to a 4-year-old patient admitted with a vaso-occlusive crisis secondary to sickle cell anemia. The boy is in agonizing pain. He has apparently taken off his hospital wristband. Before administering the pain medication, the nurse should perform which of the following actions?

The nurse is caring for a patient admitted for nephrolithiasis. The patient is experiencing severe pain and the provider writes the following order: “5 mg MSO4.” Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse is assigned to a 55-year-old patient admitted for diabetic ketoacidosis. The provider writes the patient’s insulin regimen on the admission orders as follows, - “insulin NPH 25 IU.” Which action by the nurse is most appropriate? 

The nurse discovers a fire in an empty patient room. Where does the nurse aim the fire extinguisher discharge to eradicate the flame?

The nurse discovers a fire coming from a computer in the staff computer room. After sounding the alarm and ensuring nearby patients are being moved to safety, which is the best action for the nurse to take?

Following nephrectomy surgery, the patient is groggy and continuously pulls at the IV inserted in the right arm. Which intervention is most appropriate to protect the IV?

The nurse is assigned to a 52-year-old patient who is admitted for elective cholecystectomy. While undergoing preoperative evaluation, the patient mentions to the nurse an allergy that is not documented in the health record. Which action by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse is evaluating a 9-month-old male infant who presents for a routine checkup. In obtaining the patient’s history from his mother, the nurse discovers they live in a home built in 1975. The nurse instructs the mother on which health screening schedule?

The 28-year-old female patient presents to the clinic after missing her usual monthly menstrual cycle. A urine hCG level confirms that she is pregnant; further questioning estimates a gestational age of 11 weeks. The patient asks about the possibility of getting an abortion in the next few weeks. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?