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.
You might also like to view...
A nurse is performing a focused abdominal assessment on a child complaining of stomach pain. Which assessment finding warrants immediate action by the nurse?
A. Complains of pain of 4 on 1-10 scale B. Lack of rebound tenderness C. Negative obturator sign D. Positive heel-drop jarring test
A client brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident is suspected of having internal bleeding. Which question does the nurse ask to determine whether the client is in the early stages of hypovolemic shock?
a. "Are you more thirsty than normal?" b. "When was the last time you urinated?" c. "What is your normal heart rate?" d. "Is your skin usually cool and pale?"
According to protocol, a nursing student is required to complete metric conversions to ensure accurate administration of medication dosage. What does this indicate?
A) A nurse must strictly follow the given medication orders. B) A nurse must possess a good understanding of pharmacology. C) A nurse must possess a basic understanding of mathematics. D) A nurse must ask for the primary care provider's assistance.
As related to inherited disorders, which statement is descriptive of most cases of hemophilia?
a. Autosomal dominant disorder causing deficiency in a factor involved in the blood-clotting reaction b. X-linked recessive inherited disorder causing deficiency of platelets and prolonged bleeding c. X-linked recessive inherited disorder in which a blood-clotting factor is deficient d. Y-linked recessive inherited disorder in which the red blood cells become moon shaped