The doctrine that holds the hospital responsible as well as the nurse in cases of professional malpractice is which of the following?
1. Contractual relationship
2. Stare decisis
3. Respondeat superior
4. Res ipsa loquitur
Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: A contractual relationship is not a doctrine; it is what the nurse and hospital, for example, enter when the hospital hires the nurse as an employee.
Rationale 2: "To stand by things decided," or stare decisis, is the same thing as following precedent, or applying the same rules to a situation as were applied in similar situations.
Rationale 3: "Let the master answer," or respondeat superior, means that the master (in this case the hospital/employer) assumes responsibility for the conduct of the servant (the nurse) and can be held responsible for the nurse's failure to act in a competent way.
Rationale 4: "The thing speaks for itself," or res ipsa loquitur, is a doctrine in cases where harm occurs but cannot be traced to a specific health care provider or standard.
You might also like to view...
The older osteoarthritis patient complains of stomach discomfort and shortness of breath after years of taking aspirin for pain relief. The home health nurse suggests that she change her pain control method to:
1. NSAIDs. 2. oral corticosteroids. 3. mild exercise. 4. warm baths.
The nurse plans to administer fluid to a client with SIRS and hypotension. Which of the following orders should the nurse anticipate to prevent progression of shock?
1. Administer 1000 ml of lactated ringers over the next 2 hours. 2. Infuse 20 ml of D5½ normal saline solution per hour. 3. Give 3% saline at a rate of 20 ml/hour. 4. Administer D5W at a rate of 100 ml/hour.
There are four major types of staffing plans used in the hospital setting. The primary advantage of self-scheduling is which of the following?c
a. It saves the nurse manager time. b. It encourages negotiation among staff. c. The most senior staff get first pick. d. The freshman staff get the more undesira-ble shifts.
The nurse comes into the room of a child who was just diagnosed with a chronic disability. The child's parents begin to yell at the nurse about a variety of concerns. The nurse's best response is:
a. "What is really wrong?" b. "Being angry is only natural." c. "Yelling at me will not change things." d. "I will come back when you settle down."