After the nurse discovered a medication error had been made, the patient was carefully observed and effectively treated for symptoms of a headache. What element of malprac-tice is most critical in determining the nurse's liability?
a. The nurse owed a legal duty to the patient.
b. The nurse breached the recognized duty.
c. The patient suffered harm as a result of the act.
d. The harm was a direct result of the nursing act.
ANS: D
Malpractice cannot be established unless the nurse's action was the direct cause of the ob-served injury. A headache is not generally seen as an outcome of such a medication error. The remaining options reflect elements that are already recognized as being true.
You might also like to view...
Which of the following is a direct care intervention?
a. Administration of an injection b. Making the change-of-shift report c. Collaborating with members of the health care team d. Ensuring availability of needed equipment
A nurse working in a retail clinic correctly describes the practice environment as (Select all that apply.)
a. incorporating retail items. b. limited to wealthier patients. c. located in retail facilities. d. providing limited services. e. staffed by physicians.
The nurse is visiting the family of a newly pregnant patient whose spouse was ambivalent about the pregnancy during the first prenatal visit. Which observation indicates that the spouse is accepting the pregnancy?
A) Spouse leaves the house when the nurse arrives. B) Spouse sits with the pregnant patient during the nurse's visit. C) Spouse shouts down the stairs about the location of clean laundry. D) Spouse tells the patient what needs to be obtained from the grocery store.
An unusual increase in a disease should be investigated. Epidemiologic clues that may signal a bioterrorism attack include:
1. A large number of cases of the flu 2. A case of cholera following a trip to India by a local politician 3. Dengue fever in a group of students who just returned from a mission trip 4. Unusual illness in a population