Chapter 8 Legal Issues in Critical Care Nursing

Chapter 8  Legal Issues in Critical Care Nursing

Complete Chapter Questions And Answers
 

Sample Questions

1.
A patient’s physician writes a medication order to administer 20 mEq of potassium chloride to a patient. The ICU nurse misreads the order as 200 mEq of potassium and administers this amount of medication to the patient. As a result, the patient dies. This situation is an example of which of the following?
A)
A questionable medical order
B)
Negligent supervision
C)
Ordinary negligence
D)
Gross negligence

2.
A family member of a patient files a complaint against an ICU nurse, claiming that the nurse improperly transferred the patient from a wheelchair to the hospital bed, resulting in a back injury to the patient. Assuming that the nurse’s due process rights are observed, which of the following actions would be most advisable for the nurse?
A)
Plan to appeal to a court if the State Board of Nursing rules against her.
B)
Sue the State Board of Nursing if her license is suspended before she is found guilty.
C)
Acquire legal counsel and have him or her question the board’s witnesses.
D)
Continue nursing practice if her license is suspended, as such a suspension violates her constitutional rights.

3.
The ex-husband of a patient asks the ICU nurse a question about the medical history of the patient. The nurse retrieves the patient’s file, opens it, and relates some of the patient’s personal information to the ex-husband. When the ex-husband asks to see the patient’s file, the nurse hands it to him, although he is not authorized by the patient to see this information. What is the most accurate characterization of the nurse’s action?
A)
A criminal act against the patient
B)
A breaking of the rule of personal liability
C)
A violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule
D)
A case of respondeat superior

4.
A nurse is accused of professional negligence because she improperly operated a ventilator, resulting in a patient’s death. The prosecution presents an expert witness to show that operating such a ventilator is within the standard of care for a reasonable nurse. Which aspect of negligence is the prosecution attempting to establish?
A)
Duty
B)
Breach of duty
C)
Causation
D)
Damages

5.
A jury involved in a malpractice suit must decide how much to compensate a patient for the emotional distress caused her by incomplete anesthesia during surgery. To which element of malpractice is this decision related?
A)
Duty
B)
Breach of duty
C)
Causation
D)
Damages

Answer Key

1.
B
2.
A
3.
D
4.
C
5.
B