Mrs. Smith is admitted for treatment of depression with suicidal ideation triggered by marital discord. She had spoken with staff about her fears that the marriage will end, had indicated that she did not know how she could cope if her marriage ended, and has a history of suicide attempts when the marriage had seemed threatened in the past. Her spouse visits one night and informs Mrs. Smith that he has decided to file for divorce. Staff are aware of the visit and the husband's intentions regarding divorce but take no further action, feeling that the q15-minute suicide checks Mrs. Smith is already on are sufficient. Thirty minutes after the visit ends, staff make rounds and discover Mrs. Smith has hanged herself in her bathroom, using hospital pajamas she had tied together into a rope.

Which of the following statements best describes this situation? Select all that apply.

1. The nurses have created liability for themselves and their employer by failing in their
duty to protect Mrs. Smith.
2. The nurses have breached their duty to reassess Mrs. Smith for increased suicide risk
after her husband's visit.
3. Given Mrs. Smith's history, the nurses should have expected an increased risk of suicide
after the husband's announcement.
4. The nurses correctly reasoned that suicides cannot always be prevented and did their best
to keep Mrs. Smith safe via the q15-minute checks.
5. The nurses are subject to a tort of professional negligence for failing to prevent the
suicide by increasing the suicide precautions in response to Mrs. Smith's increased risk.
6. Had the nurses restricted Mrs. Smith's movements or increased their checks on her, they
would have been liable for false imprisonment and invasion of privacy, respectively.


Answer:
1. The nurses have created liability for themselves and their employer by failing in their
duty to protect Mrs. Smith.
2. The nurses have breached their duty to reassess Mrs. Smith for increased suicide risk
after her husband's visit.
3. Given Mrs. Smith's history, the nurses should have expected an increased risk of suicide
after the husband's announcement.
5. The nurses are subject to a tort of professional negligence for failing to prevent the
suicide by increasing the suicide precautions in response to Mrs. Smith's increased risk.

Nursing

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