During a health care team meeting, this question is posed: "What is the difference between com-petency to stand trial and the insanity defense?" The nurse with knowledge of forensics will cor-rectly respond:

Question

1. "Competency to stand trial relates to the client's present mental condition and his ability to aid in his own defense, while the insanity defense relates to state of mind at the time of the offense."
2. "Competency to stand trial refers to whether the client was mentally ill at the time the offense was committed, while the insanity defense states the client is so im-paired by mental illness that he is unable to understand court proceedings."
3. "Neither concept has relevance to the assessment we are charged to make or the care we are providing to the client."
4. "The concepts are identical. Both mean we are responsible for assessing the cli-ent's mental state from the time of the offense to the present."

Answer 1

ANS: 1
Option 1 provides correct definitions of both terms. Option 2 reverses the actual facts. Options 3 and 4 show lack of understanding of the definitions.