Chapter 23: Legal Implications in Nursing Practice

Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A newly hired experienced nurse is preparing to change a patients abdominal dressing and

hasnt done it before at this hospital. Which action by the nurse is best?
Ask another nurse to do it so the correct method can be viewed.
Check the policy and procedure manual for the agencys method.
Change the dressing using the method taught in nursing school.
Ask the patient how the dressing change has been recently done.

a.
b.
c.
d.

ANS: B

The Joint Commission requires accredited hospitals to have written nursing policies and
procedures. These internal standards of care are specific and need to be accessible on all
nursing units. For example, a policy/procedure outlining the steps to follow when changing a
dressing or administering medication provides specific information about how nurses are to
perform. The nurse being observed may not be doing the procedure according to the agencys
policy or procedure. The procedure taught in nursing school may not be consistent with the
policy or procedure for this agency. The patient is not responsible for maintaining the
standards of practice. Patient input is important, but its not what directs nursing practice.
DIF: Apply
TOP: Planning

OBJ: List sources for standards of care for nurses.

MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

2. A new nurse notes that the health care unit keeps a listing of patient names in a closed book

behind the front desk of the nursing station so patients can be located easily. What action is
most appropriate for the nurse to take?
a. Move the book to the upper ledge of the nursing station for easier access.
b. Talk with the nurse manager about the listing being a violation of the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
c. Use the book as needed while keeping it away from individuals not involved in
patient care.
d. Ask the nurse manager to move the book to a more secluded area.
ANS: C

The privacy section of the HIPAA provides standards regarding accountability in the health
care setting. These rules include patient rights to consent to the use and disclosure of their
protected health information, to inspect and copy their medical record, and to amend mistaken
or incomplete information. This document limits who is able to access a patients record. It
establishes the basis for privacy and confidentiality about patients in any manner. The book is
located where only staff would have access. It is not the responsibility of the new nurse to
move items used by others on the patient unit. The listing is protected as long as it is used
appropriately as needed to provide care. There is no need to move the book to a more secluded
area.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Describe the legal responsibilities and obligations of nurses regarding the following federal
statutes: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
(EMTALA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the Patient

Self-Determination Act (PSDA).

TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
3. A 17-year-old patient, dying of heart failure, wants to have his organs removed for

transplantation after his death. What action by the nurse is correct?

Prepare the organ donation form for the patient to sign while he is still oriented.
Instruct the patient to talk with his parents about his desire to donate his organs.
Notify the physician about the patients desire to donate his organs.
Contact the United Network for Organ Sharing after talking with the patient.

a.
b.
c.
d.

ANS: B

An individual over age 18 may sign the form allowing organ donation upon death. In this
situation, the parents would need to sign the form because the teenager is under age 18. The
nurse cannot allow the patient to sign the organ donation document because he is younger
than age 18. The physician will be notified about the patients wishes after the parents agree to
donate the organs. The nurse caring for the patient does not contact the United Network for
Organ Sharing. A transplant coordinator will be the liaison for this organization.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
4. An obstetrical nurse comes across an automobile accident. The patient seems to have a

crushed upper airway, and while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive, the nurse
makes a cut in the trachea and inserts a straw from her purse to provide an airway. The patient
survives and has a permanent problem with his vocal cords, making it difficult to talk. Which
statement is true regarding the nurses performance?
a. The nurse acted appropriately and saved the patients life.
b. The nurse acted within the guidelines of the Good Samaritan Law.
c. The nurse took actions beyond those that are standard and appropriate.
d. The nurse should have just stayed with the patient and waited for help.
ANS: C

An obstetric nurse would not have been trained in performing a tracheostomy or a cricotomy,
and doing so would be beyond what she has been trained or educated to do. The nurse did not
do what another nurse would have done in the same situation. The nurse is not protected by
the Good Samaritan Law because she acted outside of her scope of practice and training. The
nurse should have acted within what she was trained and educated to do in this circumstance,
not just stay with the patient.
DIF: Understand OBJ: Explain the legal concept of standard of care.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
5. A nurse performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a 92-year-old with brittle bones

and breaks a rib during the procedure, which then punctures a lung. The patient recovers
completely without any residual problems and sues the nurse for pain and suffering, and for
malpractice. What key point will the prosecution attempt to prove?
a. The CPR procedure was done incorrectly.
b. The patient would have died if nothing was done.

c. The patient was resuscitated according to policy.

d. Patients with brittle bones might sustain fractures when chest compressions are

done.
ANS: A

Certain criteria are necessary to establish nursing malpractice. In this situation, although harm
was caused, it was not because of failure of the nurse to perform a duty according to standards
the way other nurses would have performed in the same situation. The nurse would have had
to have done the procedure correctly, or the patient most likely would not have survived
without any residual problems such as brain damage. The fact that the patient sustained injury
as a result of age and physical status does not mean the nurse breached any duty to the patient.
The nurse would need to make sure the defense attorney knew that the cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) was done correctly. Without intervention, the patient most likely would
not have survived. The prosecution would try to prove that a breach of duty had occurred,
which had caused injury, not that cardiopulmonary resuscitation was done correctly. The
defense team, not the prosecution, would explain the correlation between brittle bones and rib
fractures during CPR.
DIF: Understand OBJ: List the elements needed to prove negligence.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care: Ethical/Legal)
6. A recent immigrant who does not speak English is alert and requires hospitalization. What is

the initial action that the nurse must take to enable informed consent to be obtained?
Ask a family member to translate what the nurse is saying.
Notify the health care provider that the patient doesnt speak English.
Request an official interpreter to explain the terms of consent.
Use hand gestures and medical equipment while explaining in English.

a.
b.
c.
d.

ANS: C

An official interpreter must be present to explain the terms of consent if a patient speaks only
a foreign language. A family member or acquaintance who speaks a patients language should
not interpret health information. Family members can tell those caring for the patient what the
patient is saying, but privacy regarding the patients condition, assessment, etc., must be
protected. There is no way that the nurse can know that the family member is translating
exactly what the nurse is saying. Privacy must be ensured and accurate information must be
provided to the patient. After consent is obtained for treatment, the health care provider would
be notified because little can be done without consent. The health care provider needs to have
the translator available during the history and physical, as well as at other times, but the first
step is to get a translator to obtain informed consent because this is not an emergency
situation. Using hand gestures and medical equipment is inappropriate when communicating
with a patient who does not understand the language spoken. Certain hand gestures may be
acceptable in one culture and not appropriate in another. The medical equipment may be
unknown and frightening to the patient, and the patient still doesnt understand what is being
said.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Discuss the nurses role in witnessing the informed consent process.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

7. A pediatric oncology nurse floats to an orthopedic trauma unit. What actions should the nurse

manager of the orthopedic unit take to enable safe care to be given by this nurse?
Provide a complete orientation to the functioning of the entire unit.
Determine patient acuity and care the nurse can safely provide.
Allow the nurse to choose which meal time she would like.
Assign nursing assistive personnel to assist her with care.

a.
b.
c.
d.

ANS: B

Nurses who float need to inform the supervisor of any lack of experience in caring for the type
of patients on the nursing unit. They also need to request and receive an orientation to the unit.
Supervisors are liable if they give a staff nurse an assignment that he or she cannot safely
handle. Before accepting employment, learn the policies of the institution regarding floating,
and have an understanding as to what is expected. A basic orientation is needed, whereas a
complete orientation of the functioning of the entire unit would take a period of time that
would exceed what the nurse has to spend on orientation. Allowing the nurse to choose which
meal time she would like is a nice gesture of thanks for the nurse, but it does not enable safe
care.
Having nursing assistive personnel may help the nurse complete basic tasks such as hygiene
and turning, but it does not enable safe nursing care that she is ultimately responsible for.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
8. While recovering from a severe illness, a hospitalized patient states that he wants to change

his living will, which he signed nine 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. Have you talked with your attorney recently about a living will?
c. Your living will can be changed only once each calendar year.
d. Let me check with someone here in the hospital who can assist you.
ANS: D

Each health care facility has personnel who are familiar with the state laws and can assist the
patient in revising a living will. They may be in the admissions or risk management
department. Checking with the health care provider about the presence of a living will on the
chart has nothing to do with the patients desire to change the living will. The question states
that the patient wants to change his living will. Asking whether he has talked to his lawyer
recently is a closed-ended question that passes the responsibility to someone else, that is, the
attorney, and does not address the patients current desire to change the living will. It is the
nurses responsibility to find an appropriate person in the facility to assist the patient. A living
will can be changed whenever the patient decides to change it, as long as the patient is
competent.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Describe the legal responsibilities and obligations of nurses regarding the following federal
statutes: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
(EMTALA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), and the Patient
Self-Determination Act (PSDA).
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care: Ethical/Legal)

9. A nurse notices that his neighbors preschool children are often playing on the sidewalk and in

the street unsupervised and repeatedly takes them back to their home and talks with the parent
available, but the situation continues. What immediate action by the nurse is mandated by
law?
a. Talk with both parents about safety needs of their children.
b. Contact the appropriate community child protection agency.
c. Tell the parents that the authorities will be contacted shortly.
d. Take pictures of the children to support the overt child abuse.
ANS: B

The nurse has a duty 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. The person making the report has legal immunity if the report is made in
good faith. Talking with the 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:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

10. 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 he
should not touch these lines, but the patient continues. What is the best action by the nurse at
this time?
a. Apply restraints loosely on the patients dominant wrist.
b. Try other approaches to prevent the patient from touching these care items.
c. Notify the health care provider that restraints are needed immediately to maintain
the patients safety.
d. Allow the patient to pull out lines to prove that the patient needs to be restrained.
ANS: B

The risks associated with the use of restraints are serious. A restraint-free environment is the
first goal of care for all patients. Many alternatives to the use of restraints are available, and
the nurse should try all of them before notifying the patients health care provider. The
situation states that the patient is touching the items, not trying to pull them out. At this time,
the patients well-being is not at risk. The nurse will have to check on the patient frequently
and then will determine if the health care provider needs to be informed of the situation.
Restraints can be used (1) only to ensure the physical safety of the resident or other residents,
(2) when less restrictive interventions are not successful, and (3) only on the written order of a
health care provider. The health care provider needs to know the situation but also needs to
know that all approaches possible have been used before writing an order for restraints.
Allowing the patient to pull out any of these items could cause harm to the patient.
DIF:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Safety and Infection Control)

11. A patient with sepsis as a result of long-term leukemia dies 25 hours after admission to the

hospital. A full code was conducted without success. The patient had a urinary catheter, an
intravenous line, an oxygen cannula, and a nasogastric tube. What question is priority for the
nurse to ask the family before beginning postmortem care?
a. Do you want to assist in bathing your loved one?
b. Is an autopsy going to be done?
c. To which funeral home do you want your loved one transported?
d. Do you want me to remove the lines and tubes before you see your loved one?
ANS: B

An autopsy or postmortem examination may be requested by the patient or the patients

family, as part of an institutional policy, or if required by law. Because the patients death
occurred as a result of long-term illness, not under suspicious circumstances, and more than
24 hours after admission to the hospital, whether to conduct a postmortem examination would
be decided by the family, and consent would have to be obtained from the family. The nurse
needs to know the policy to follow regarding removal of lines when an autopsy is to be done.
Asking about bathing the deceased patient is a valid question but is not priority, because the
nurse needs to know the protocol to follow if an autopsy is to be done. Finding out which
funeral home the deceased patient is to be transported to is valid but is not priority, because
other actions must be taken before the deceased patient is transported from the hospital.
Removal of lines and tubes is not a decision made by the family if an autopsy is to be done.
The nurse must first check the protocol to be followed.
DIF:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

12. Conjoined twins are in the neonatal department of the community hospital until transfer to the

closest medical center. A photographer from the local newspaper gets off the elevator on the
neonatal floor and wants to take pictures of the infants. What initial action should the nurse
take?
a. Escort the cameraman to the neonatal unit while a few pictures are taken quietly.
b. Tell the cameraman where the hospitals public relations department is located.
c. Ask the cameraman to wait while permission is obtained from the physician.
d. Ask the cameraman how the pictures are to be used in the local newspaper.
ANS: B

In some cases, information about a scientific discovery or a major medical breakthrough or an

unusual situation is newsworthy. In this case, anyone seeking information needs to contact the
hospitals public relations department to ensure that invasion of privacy does not occur. It is
not the nurses responsibility to decide independently the legality of disclosing information.
The nurse does not have the right to allow the cameraman access to the neonatal unit. This
would constitute invasion of privacy. The physician has no responsibility regarding this
situation and cannot allow the cameraman on the unit. It is not the nurses responsibility to
find out how the pictures are to be used. This is a task for the public relations department.
DIF:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

13. A nursing student has been written up several times for being late with providing patient care

and for omitting aspects of patient care and not knowing basic procedures that were taught in
the skills course one term earlier. The nursing student says, I dont understand what the big
deal is. As my instructor, you are there to protect me and make sure I dont make mistakes.
What is the best response from the nursing instructor?
a. You are expected to perform at the level of a professional nurse.
b. You are expected to perform at the level of a nursing student.
c. You are practicing under the license of the nurse assigned to the patient.
d. You are expected to perform at the level of a skilled nursing assistant.
ANS: A

Although nursing students are not employees of the health care agency where they are having
their clinical experience, they are expected to perform as professional nurses would in
providing safe patient care. Different levels of standards do not apply. Nursing students, just
as nurses, provide safe, complete patient care, or they dont. No standard is used for nursing
students other than that they must meet the standards of a professional nurse. The nursing
instructor, not the nurse assigned to the patient, is responsible for the actions of the nursing
student.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
14. A nurse works full-time on the oncology unit at the hospital and works part-time on weekends

giving immunizations at the local pharmacy. While giving an injection on a weekend, the
nurse caused injury to the patients arm and is now being sued. How will the hospitals
malpractice insurance provide coverage for this nurse?
a. It will provide coverage as long as the nurse followed all procedures, protocols, and
policies correctly.
b. The hospitals malpractice insurance covers this nurse only during the time the
nurse is working at the hospital.
c. As long as the nurse has never been sued before this incident, the hospitals
malpractice insurance will cover the nurse.
d. The hospitals malpractice insurance will provide approximately 50% of the
coverage the nurse will need.
ANS: B

Malpractice insurance provided by the employing institution covers nurses only while they are
working within the scope of their employment at that institution. It is always wise to find out
if malpractice insurance is provided by a secondary place of employment, in this case, the
pharmacy, or the nurse should carry an individual malpractice policy to cover situations such
as this.
DIF: Understand
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

15. A nursing student in the final term of nursing school is overheard by a nursing faculty member

telling another student that she got to insert a nasogastric tube in the emergency department
while she was working as a nursing assistant. What advice is best for the nursing faculty
member to give to the nursing student?
a. Just be careful when you are doing new procedures and make sure you are
following directions by the nurse.
b. Review your procedures before you go to work, so you will be prepared to do
them if you have a chance.
c. The nurse should not have allowed you to insert the nasogastric tube because
something bad could have happened.
d. You are not allowed to perform any procedures other than those in your job
description even with the nurses permission.
ANS: D

When nursing students work as nursing assistants or nurses aides when not attending classes,
they should not perform tasks that do not appear in a job description for a nurses aide or
assistant. The nursing student should always follow the directions of the nurse, unless doing
so violates the institutions guidelines or job description under which the nursing student was
hired. The nursing student should be able to safely complete the procedures delegated as a
nursing assistant, and reviewing those not done recently is a good idea, but it has nothing to
do with the situation. This option does not address the situation that the nursing student acted
outside the job description for the nursing assistant position. The focus of the discussion
between the nursing faculty member and the nursing student should be on following the job
description under which the nursing student is working.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: List sources for standards of care for nurses.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
MULTIPLE RESPONSE
1. The nurse calculates the medication dose for an infant on the pediatric unit and determines

that the dose is twice what it should be. The pediatrician is contacted and says to administer
the medication as ordered. What is the next action that the nurse should take? (Select all that
apply.)
a. Notify the nursing supervisor.
b. Check the chain of command policy for such situations.
c. Give the medication as ordered.
d. Give the amount calculated to be correct.
e. Contact the pharmacy for clarification.
ANS: A, B

Nurses follow health care providers orders unless they believe the orders are in error or may
harm patients. Therefore, the nurse needs to assess all orders. If an order seems to be
erroneous or harmful, further clarification from the health care provider is necessary. If the
health care provider confirms an order and the nurse still believe that it is inappropriate, the
nurse should inform the supervising nurse or follow the established chain of command. The
supervising nurse should be able to help resolve the questionable order, but only the health
care provider who wrote the order or a health care provider covering for the one who wrote
the order can change the order. Harm to the infant could occur if the medication dosage was
too high. The nurse cannot change an order. Giving the amount calculated to be correct would
not be what another nurse would do in the same situation. Although the pharmacy is an
excellent resource, only the health care provider can change the order.
DIF:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

2. A nurse gives an incorrect medication to a patient without doing all of the mandatory checks,

but the patient has no ill effects from the medication. What actions should the nurse take after
reassessing the patient? (Select all that apply.)
a. Notify the health care provider of the situation.
b. Document in the patients medical record that an occurrence report was filed.
c. Document in the patients medical record why the omission occurred.
d. Discuss what happened with all of the other nurses and staff on the unit.
e. Continue to monitor the patient for any untoward effects from the medication.
f. Send an occurrence report to risk management after completing it.
ANS: A, E, F

Examples of an occurrence include an error in technique or procedure such as failing to

properly identify a patient. Institutions generally have specific guidelines to direct health care
providers how to complete the occurrence report. The report is confidential and separate from
the medical record. The nurse is responsible for providing information in the medical record
about the occurrence. It is also best for the nurse to discuss the occurrence with nursing
management only. The risk management department of the institution also requires complete
documentation. The fact that an occurrence report was completed is not documented in the
patients medical record. No discussion of why the omission in procedure occurred should be
documented in the patients medical record. Errors should be discussed only with those who
need to know such as the health care provider, appropriate administrative personnel, and risk
management.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
3. The nurse hears a physician say to the charge nurse that he doesnt want that same nurse

caring for his patients because she is stupid and wont follow his orders. The physician also
writes on his patients medical records that the same nurse, by name, is not to care for any of
his patients because of her incompetence. What component(s) of defamation has the physician
committed? (Select all that apply.)
a. Slander

b.
c.
d.
e.

Invasion of privacy
Libel
Assault
Battery

ANS: A, C

Slander occurred when the physician spoke falsely about the nurse, and libel occurred when
the physician wrote false information in the chart. Both of these situations could cause
problems for the nurses reputation. Invasion of privacy is the release of a patients medical
information to an unauthorized person such as a member of the press, the patients employer,
or the patients family. Assault is any action that places a person in apprehension of a harmful
or offensive contact without consent. No actual contact is necessary. Battery is any intentional
touching without consent.
DIF:
OBJ:
TOP:
MSC:

Apply
Describe the nursing implications associated with legal issues that occur in nursing practice.
Implementation
Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)

4. A patient has just been told that he has approximately six months to live and asks about

advance directives. Which statements by the nurse give the patient correct information?
(Select all that apply.)
a. You have the right to refuse treatment at any time.
b. If you want certain procedures or actions taken or not taken, and you might not be
able to tell anyone at the time, you need to complete documents ahead of time that
give your health care provider this information.
c. You will be resuscitated at any time to allow you the longest length of survival.
d. You might want to think about choosing someone who will make medical
decisions for you in the event that you are unable to make your desires known.
e. We will get someone who knows the states guidelines to assist you in setting up
your living will.
f. If you travel to another state, your living will should cover your wishes.
ANS: A, B, D, E

The ethical doctrine of autonomy ensures the patient the right to refuse medical treatment.
Living wills are written documents that direct treatment in accordance with a patients wishes
in the event of a terminal illness or condition. With this legal document, the patient is able to
declare which medical procedures he or she wants or does not want when terminally ill or in a
persistent vegetative state. Each state providing for living wills has its own requirements for
executing the health care proxy or durable power of attorney for health care (DPAHC). This is
a legal document that designates a person or persons of ones choosing to make health care
decisions when the patient is no longer able to make decisions on his or her own behalf. This
agent makes health care treatment decisions based on the patients wishes. Cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency treatment provided without patient consent. Health care
providers perform CPR on an appropriate patient unless a do not resuscitate (DNR) order has
been placed in the patients chart. The statutes assume that all patients will be resuscitated
unless a written DNR order is found in the chart. Legally competent adult patients can consent
to a DNR order verbally or in writing after receiving appropriate information from the health
care provider. Differences among the states have been noted regarding advance directives, so
the patient should check state laws to see if a state will honor an advance directive that was
originated in another state.

DIF: Apply
OBJ: Describe the nurses role regarding a do not resuscitate (DNR) order.
TOP: Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)
5. A patients condition is slowly deteriorating. What actions should the nurse take to provide the

best care possible? (Select all that apply.)

a. Allow the nursing student to receive verbal orders from the physician in the room
b.
c.
d.
e.

while the nurse is in the medication area down the hall.

Document the patients status changes in the medical record in a timely manner.
Document that the health care provider has been notified of the specific patient
status, including date and time that messages were left.
Check the chart for frequent orders.
Omit charting what the health providers response is to notification of the patients
status change.

ANS: B, C

Clear, concise, and timely communication is essential whenever charting in the patients
medical record occurs. Nursing students are not permitted to receive verbal orders.
Documentation regarding communication with the health care provider must contain what was
communicated by the nurse and the health care provider, orders if given, date, time, and
identification of who is documenting the situation.
DIF: Apply
OBJ: Define legal aspects of nurse-patient, nursehealth care provider, nurse-nurse, and nurseemployer relationships.
TOP:
Implementation
MSC: Safe and Effective Care Environment (Management of Care)