when a person has done something that is considered harmful to society as a whole
felony and misdemeanor
what is felony?
seriuos crime that can cause a person to be imprisoned
what is a misdemeanor?
less seriuos crime
what are civil actions?
actions that concern private interests and rights between the individuals involves in the case
Requirements to get a nursing license
high school education
completition of nursing program
application to national and state agencies
fee payment
not beign a felon
pass the national exam
What is describe in the nurse practice act? (8)
1. how to get a license and practice in the state
2. how and when to renew license
3. educational requirements to enter practice
4. definitions of scope of practice for each level of nursing
5. how members of the BON are selected and the categories
6. identify situations that are grounds for discipline (revoke or suspend license)
7. identify disciplinary actions
8. the appeal steps
What is NURSYS?`
System that contains data on a nurse's personal information, license info, education, disciplinary action, and historical information
What is the Nationa Pratitioner Data Bank?
system to identify licensed individuals who had commited malpractice or have licensure problems
What are the basic elements of malpractice?
you must have a duty
you must have breached that duty
your breach of duty must have been a foreseeable cause of the injury
damages of injury must have occurred
When is there a professional duty?
when a nurse render her services at an institution, like hospital or nursing home
there is no duty when a nurse is giving advice to a friend or neighbor in their house
What is Good Samaritan Statue?
when immunity from malpractice is given to those professionals who attempt to give assistance at the scene of an accident
what is an expert witness?
an RN usually, who will testify regarding what a reasonable nurse in the same or similar situation would be expected to do; it is very necessary by the plantiff to be able to prove a breach of duty
What does "res ipsa loquitur" means?
"the thing speaks for itself">> type of malpractice in which an expert is not required
ex: operating on the wrong body part or, leaving a surgical sponge in a client
What are policies and procedures?
these are stablished by the institution in which the nurse work, and they are the most crucial piece of evidence for stablishing standars of care
The Joint Comission (JTC) and the National Committee of Quality Assurance (NCQA) are two organizations that set standars for health care organizations
True or False
TRUE
What are some of the factors that make a claim worthwhile?
age of the client: younger
nature of the injury: permanent damage, disfigurement, surgery on the wrong limb
malicious misconduct: intentional
What is the duty of the nurse when acting as a supervisor?
ensure that the task was properly assigned to a competent worker
ensure that adequate supervison was provided to the worker if needed
ensure that the nurse provide appropriate follow-up and evaluation of delegated task
What are some nursing responsabilities that cannot be delegated to an unlicensed staff?
nursing diagnosis, assessment, teaching, and some portions of planning, evaluation and documentation
What is statute of limitations?
a law that sets a time period after an event during which a lawsuit must be file
- for minors, time can be counted from the time they reach majority
- time can be measured from the time of the event, or when the event was discovered
What is "assumption of the risk" defense?
states that the plantiffs are partially responsible for consequences if they understood the risks involved when they proceeded with the action
What is "contributory negligence"?
older doctrine that was an "all or nothing" rule
In which case does the client can be find negligent and thus be partially responsible?
when refusing to follow advice or instructions
when causign a delay in treatment of not returning to follow-up
giving false, misleading, or incomplete information
causing the injury that result in the need of medical care
how to avoid medication errors?
record medication administration proerly
recognize side effects and contraindications of medication
know allergies of the patient
bar code technology
listen to family or patient, who notice that a medications is new, or there is a change is color or amount
How a nurse can provide a safe environment?
know how equipmen works
not using equipment that is not functioning correctly
removing abvious hazards from environment
** document correctly if an incident occurs
What to do when a client falls?
assess client and take immediate action to provide safety
notify physician to assess or treat client
make sure that client is protected from a second fall
notify family
document incident
What to document when a client falls?
how the fall was discovered and how the client was found
nursing assessment, obvious injuries, and nursing actions
what the client said in regard to the fall
who you notified
what is done to the client (examination, restrains)
What are some examples of duties to report by a nurse?
unprofessional behavior that could cause harm to the public (drugs and alcohol)
evidence of child or adult or elder abuse and neglect
certain communicable diseases
certain deaths under suspicious circumstances
certain types of injuries that could be cuased by violence
evidence of Medicare fraud
What are "whistleblower statues"?
statues that not only protect nurses from retaliation when making a report, but they also may be rewarded
What is an intentional tort?
civil claims that are closely related to criminal acts in that they involve intent to do wrong
What are some examples of intentional tort?
assult and battery
false imprisonment
defamation - libel (written) or slander (oral)
What does an informed consent include?
nature of the proposed care (treatment, meds, procedure)
potential benefits, risks, or side effects
likelihood of achieving goals of treament
reasonable alternatives, including alternative or refusing
what is risk management?
a process that becomes involved when indicents or untoward events occur that may pose a financial risk or risk of lawsuit to the institution; this will also evaluate how to prevent a recurrence by changing systems to avoid another ocurrence