A nurse working on a busy medical-surgical unit does not take the vital signs of a client who is preparing for discharge but instead documents the same vital signs obtained earlier in the morning. For which tort would the nurse be potentially liable?
Fraud
False imprisonment
Battery
Assault
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A reason: Falsifying vital signs by documenting earlier readings without reassessment constitutes fraud, a deliberate misrepresentation that could harm the patient. Accurate vital signs monitor physiological status, like heart rate or blood pressure, ensuring stability for discharge. Fraudulent documentation risks missing critical changes, such as tachycardia or hypotension, potentially leading to unsafe discharge and legal liability.
Choice B reason: False imprisonment involves unlawfully restricting a patient’s movement, unrelated to falsifying vital signs. Documentation errors do not restrict mobility but compromise care quality. Vital signs reflect cardiovascular and respiratory function, and falsifying them risks patient safety, not freedom, making false imprisonment an incorrect tort for this scenario of fraudulent charting.
Choice C reason: Battery involves unauthorized physical contact, like unconsented procedures, not documentation errors. Falsifying vital signs is a non-physical act of misrepresentation, not touching. Accurate vital signs ensure physiological stability for discharge, and falsification risks harm through neglect, aligning with fraud, not battery, as the nurse’s action involves deceit, not contact.
Choice D reason: Assault involves threatening harm, not falsifying records. Documenting earlier vital signs without reassessment is fraudulent, risking patient safety by missing physiological changes, like arrhythmias. This misrepresentation does not involve threats or intimidation, making assault irrelevant. Fraud is the appropriate tort, as it addresses intentional deception in clinical documentation.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Instructing repositioning every 2 hours is appropriate but not the first action for a progressing ulcer, seen on video. Verification via in-person assessment ensures accuracy, as video may not capture depth or infection. A home visit confirms the stage, guiding intervention, per pressure ulcer management protocols.
Choice B reason: Asking the daughter to take pictures is unreliable, as non-professional images may lack clarity or accuracy. A nurse’s in-person assessment is needed to evaluate ulcer progression, ensuring proper staging and treatment, avoiding misdiagnosis, per telehealth and wound care standards.
Choice C reason: Contacting the provider for a hydrocolloid dressing is premature without verifying the ulcer’s stage in person. Stage 1 ulcers typically require pressure relief, not advanced dressings. A home visit confirms progression, ensuring appropriate intervention, per evidence-based wound care guidelines.
Choice D reason: Making a home visit to verify ulcer changes is the priority, as video may not fully capture progression (e.g., depth, infection). In-person assessment confirms the stage, guiding accurate treatment like dressings or repositioning, preventing deterioration, per telehealth wound assessment and pressure injury protocols.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Choice A reason: Cranial nerve I (olfactory) assesses smell, not facial movements. Smiling or frowning involves facial muscles, unrelated to olfactory function. Testing nerve I involves odor identification, not motor actions, making it irrelevant to this assessment, per cranial nerve examination protocols.
Choice B reason: Cranial nerves II (optic) and III (oculomotor) control vision and eye movement, not facial expressions. Actions like smiling or puffing cheeks involve facial muscles, not pupil response or gaze, which are tested for II and III, per neurological assessment standards.
Choice C reason: Cranial nerve VII (facial) controls facial expressions, including smiling, frowning, wrinkling the forehead, and puffing cheeks. Testing these actions assesses motor function, confirming nerve integrity. This is a key part of neurological exams, detecting deficits like Bell’s palsy, per cranial nerve assessment guidelines.
Choice D reason: Cranial nerve VII (vestibulocochlear VIII (auditory) assesses hearing and balance, not facial movements. Actions like smiling or puffing cheeks are unrelated to auditory or vestibular function, making this nerve irrelevant to the described assessment, per neurological examination protocols.
Whether you are a student looking to ace your exams or a practicing nurse seeking to enhance your expertise , our nursing education contents will empower you with the confidence and competence to make a difference in the lives of patients and become a respected leader in the healthcare field.
Visit Naxlex, invest in your future and unlock endless possibilities with our unparalleled nursing education contents today
Report Wrong Answer on the Current Question
Do you disagree with the answer? If yes, what is your expected answer? Explain.
Kindly be descriptive with the issue you are facing.