During arraignment, a defendant behaves bizarrely, fails to respond to the judge's questions, and shouts obscenities. The judge orders an evaluation by a forensic nurse examiner
Which information provided by the examiner will be most important to the court at this time?
a. The defendant's mental state at the time of the crime
b. The defendant's competence to proceed with trial
c. The cause of the defendant's courtroom behavior
d. The defendant's history and cognitive abilities
ANS: B
Competence to proceed refers to one's capacity to assist the attorney and understand legal proceedings. In the United States, no one is tried unless deemed competent. An incompetent individual is remanded to a locked facility for treatment to regain competency. The court will desire a full assessment of the patient's present mental state related to his ability to assist in his own defense, but at this time, the court is not interested in his state of mind at the time of the original crime nor his history.
You might also like to view...
A nurse is planning an education program on wellness in a local senior citizen center. The nurse plans to provide education on the importance of immunizations, annual physical examinations, screening for diabetes, and vision and hearing screening
It is important for the nurse to understand which of the following? a. Approximately 40% of older adults (ages 65 and older) utilize available preventive services b. Preventive strategies are more widely used in the 40-64 age group than in the 65 and over age group c. The research on health promotion strate-gies in older adults demonstrates that they have low efficacy d. There is an abundance of research specific to health promotion and aging
In the early stages of pneumonia, which respiratory outcome might the nurse expect to see?
1. decreased PaO2 and increased PaCO2 2. decreased PaO2 and normal PaCO2 3. increased PaO2 and increased PaCO2 4. normal PaO2 and elevated PaCO2
Identify the outcome that best demonstrates a critical care nurse's successful application of the ethical principle of nonmaleficence to the care of a client who has experienced a cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
a. The client is aware of his or her diagnosis despite attempts of the family to withhold that information. b. The client is beginning to be able to use simple words to express his or her needs. c. The family has been taught the necessary skills to care for the client at home with the supervision of a home health-care nurse. d. There is no evidence of skin breakdown on bony pressure points, and the client's shoulder and hip on the affected side re-main intact.
When palpating the child's cervical lymph nodes, the nurse notes that they are tender, enlarged, and warm. What is the best explanation for this?
a. Some form of cancer b. Local scalp infection common in children c. Infection or inflammation distal to the site d. Infection or inflammation close to the site