You are caring for an alert, oriented 47-year-old patient who is recovering from abdominal surgery. The patient becomes angry and upset and says, "I'm leaving this hospital. Remove my IV and surgical drains or I will do it myself
" To keep him from removing his lines and leaving the hospital, you apply bilateral wrist restraints until you can contact the physician for an order for patient restraint. This is an example of which of the following?
a. Assault and battery
b. Felony
c. False imprisonment
d. Quasi-intentional tort
C
False imprisonment involves an intentional or willful detention of a patient without consent or authority to do so. Restraining a patient without consent is another form of civil false imprisonment. Competent patients have a right to leave an institution, even if it is harmful to their health. Whenever possible, have the person sign a form stating that he is aware that he is leaving against medical advice.
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You go in to assess K.B. and find that he is complaining of a headache. His heart rate is 120 and his blood
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MC The focus of the Health Care Worker Protection Act of 1997 is to
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