An elderly patient with advanced Alzheimer’s disease is admitted to the unit. The nurse is informed that the patient has a court-appointed legal guardian. The guardian arrives and asks for information about the patient’s medications and plan of care. What is the nurse’s best response?

I must check with the physician first to approve releasing this information.

I cannot share that information without the patient’s consent.

Only immediate family members are allowed to receive medical updates.

I’d be happy to provide an update on the medications and care plan.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is D

Choice A reason: Checking with the physician before releasing information to a legal guardian is unnecessary, as guardians have legal authority to access patient information. This response delays care coordination and disregards the guardian’s role, potentially hindering decision-making, making it incorrect.

Choice B reason: Requiring patient consent is inappropriate for a patient with advanced Alzheimer’s, who lacks decision-making capacity. The court-appointed guardian has legal authority to receive medical information, as they act in the patient’s best interest, making this response incorrect.

Choice C reason: Restricting information to immediate family ignores the legal guardian’s authority. Guardians, regardless of family status, are legally entitled to medical updates to make informed care decisions, as they represent the patient’s interests, making this response incorrect.

Choice D reason: Providing the guardian with medication and care plan updates is appropriate, as they have legal authority to make healthcare decisions for the patient. This ensures informed decision-making and complies with legal and ethical standards, making this the correct choice.

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Correct Answer is ["A","D","E"]

Explanation

Choice A reason: Slapping a patient constitutes battery, an intentional tort involving deliberate harmful or offensive contact without consent. This violates patient autonomy and ethical standards, causing physical and psychological harm. The intentional nature of the act, targeting a vulnerable confused patient, makes it a clear example of an intentional tort in nursing practice.

Choice B reason: Administering the wrong medication due to misreading a label is negligence, not an intentional tort. Negligence involves unintentional failure to meet care standards, lacking the purposeful intent required for torts like assault or battery. This error results from inattention, not deliberate harm, so it does not qualify as an intentional tort.

Choice C reason: Failing to put up side rails, leading to a patient fall, is negligence, not an intentional tort. This reflects a lapse in the standard of care, not a deliberate act to cause harm. Negligence lacks the intentionality required for torts like false imprisonment, making this choice incorrect for the question.

Choice D reason: Physically restraining a competent patient without a provider’s order is false imprisonment, an intentional tort. This deliberate act restricts patient autonomy without medical or legal justification, violating their rights. The intentional restriction of movement, especially in a competent individual, makes this a clear example of an intentional tort.

Choice E reason: Threatening to give an injection to coerce medication compliance constitutes assault, an intentional tort. The deliberate verbal threat creates fear of imminent harm, violating patient autonomy. This intentional act, aimed at manipulating the patient’s behavior, qualifies as an intentional tort in nursing practice.

A. Follow the legal guardian’s decisions regardless of what the patient wants B. Ignore the guardian and make decisions based on the nurse’s judgment C. Consult the patient directly and respect their decisions above all D. Require the patient to provide written consent for all care, even routine nursing tasks

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: A legal guardian, appointed for a patient with advanced dementia, has authority to make healthcare decisions, as the patient lacks capacity due to cognitive impairment. Following the guardian’s decisions ensures legal and ethical compliance, prioritizing the patient’s best interests, making this the correct choice.

Choice B reason: Ignoring the legal guardian violates legal standards, as the guardian is appointed to act in the patient’s best interest. Nurses lack authority to override guardians, and doing so risks unethical care and legal repercussions, making this choice incorrect.

Choice C reason: Consulting a patient with advanced dementia directly disregards their lack of decision-making capacity, as cognitive impairments prevent informed choices. The legal guardian’s role supersedes patient preferences in this context, making this choice incorrect.

Choice D reason: Requiring written consent from a patient with advanced dementia is inappropriate, as they lack capacity to provide informed consent. Legal guardians provide consent for such patients, ensuring care aligns with their best interests, making this choice incorrect.

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An elderly patient with advanced Alzheimer’s disease is admitted to the unit. The nurse is informed that the patient has a court-appointed legal guardian. The guardian arrives and asks for information about the patient’s medications and plan of care. What is the nurse’s best response?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Which of the following are examples of intentional torts in nursing practice? (Select all that apply)

Correct Answer is ["A","D","E"]

Explanation

A nurse is caring for an elderly patient with advanced dementia who is unable to make healthcare decisions independently. The patient’s adult child has been appointed legal guardian. What is the nurse’s best action regarding the patient’s care decisions?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

A nurse is reviewing the medication orders for four patients. Which patient should the nurse anticipate receiving a lower dose of medication?

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