A nurse suspects that her next-door neighbor, an older woman, is a victim of elder abuse by her daughter. What is the appropriate action for the nurse to do in this situation?

a. Since the neighbor is not a patient, the nurse should not get involved.
b. Visit the neighbor frequently to confirm the suspicions.
c. Complete a confidential report with the adult protective services in the area.
d. Ask the neighbor herself if she is being abused.


ANS: C
The best action is to make a confidential report with the local adult protective agency. Sus-pected cases should be reported at once to the agency, which will send a trained investigator to determine whether an abusive or imminently dangerous situation exists and will be able to offer safety to the victim and resources to the relatives and family members. In some states with mandatory reporting, failure to report suspicions may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. Also in states with mandatory reporting, the nurse can be held liable for civil and criminal penalties for failure to report suspected cases of abuse. In states without mandatory reporting, it becomes an ethical issue if the nurse is aware of suspected abuse and does not report it. Making a personal investigation will not obtain a safe environment for the neighbor in a timely manner. Asking the neighbor about abuse will not quickly obtain a safe environ-ment or help if needed.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

A nurse is caring for a client with difficulty breathing due to nasal congestion. What care should the nurse take to prevent the client from inhaling large droplets of the medication when the nasal spray is being administered?

A) Instruct the client to breathe through her mouth. B) Place a rolled towel or pillow behind the client's neck. C) Place the tip of the container just inside the nostril. D) Help the client to a sitting position with her head tilted backward.

Nursing

To assess the pinna position of the ears of a child, the nurse would draw an imaginary line from the outer canthus to the top of the ear. If the nurse finds that the ears are below the imaginary line, this means that:

a. the child is prone to heart problems and may have cardiac anomalies b. the finding is abnormal and may be a sign of renal anomalies or Down syndrome c. the child has inherited low-set ears that may run in the family of one or more parents d. the child is prone to deafness and must be checked for hearing very carefully at intervals

Nursing

Which client assessment would assist the nurse in evaluating therapeutic effects of a calcium channel blocker?

a. Client states that she has no chest pain. b. Client states that the swelling in her feet is reduced. c. Client states the she does not feel dizzy. d. Client states that she feels stronger.

Nursing

A researcher is developing a data collection instrument to measure nurses' attitudes about their working conditions. A draft copy of the instrument is sent to 20 nurse clinicians to critique and provide feedback. What is the researcher attempting to establish by using this strategy?

1. Face validity 2. Construct validity 3. Content validity 4. Criterion validity

Nursing