Chapter Three Flashcards
Value
Your belief of somethings worth and may differ from the values of others around you
Ethics
Made up of values that influence your decisions and behavior.
Advocate
To stand up for that which is in the patients best interest, as opposed to that which is in the best interest of the health care provider, hospital, or staff.
Empathy
The awareness of an insight into another persons feelings, emotions, and behaviors, and their meanings and signifigance.
DNR or DNAR
Do Not Resuscitate or Do not attempt resuscitation
Abandonment of patient
To desert of forsake a patient in your charge; to leave a patient in your charge without appropriate nursing replacement; wrongful termination of care
Advance directive
A written statement indicating a patients wishes regarding future medical care in the event the patient becomes unable to voice their decisions; it made give consent for certain aspects of care as well as refusal of specific care
Appeal
to challenge the decision of a court to a higher court, where the decision will either be confirmed or reversed
Assault
To purposely threaten physical harm to an individual
Battery
To touch an individual without consent
Civil Law
The individual or personal rights guaranteed by federal law, such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
Competency
The legal qualification to make ones own decisions
Consent
To give permission for, to agree to; the consent generally must be written
Controlled Substances
Drugs regulated by laws; drugs that have the potential for abuse, such as narcotics
Criminal Law
Laws that protect the public or society
Damages
Money awarded to a plaintiff upon proving injury by the defendant
Defendant
The one accused of breaking criminal or civil law
Durable medical power of attorney
Legal written designation making another person responsible for one’s medical decisions
Emancipated Minor
Legal consideration of one younger than age 18 years as an adult because the person lives alone and is self-supporting, has joined the military, is married, or is a parent.
Liability
One’s responsibility for their own actions, such as acts of negligence
Libel
False written statements about another that are made public with the intent to harm
Malpratice
Injury, loss, or damage to a patient because of failure to provide a reasonable standard of care or demonstrate a reasonable level of skill
Negligence
Failure to provide certain care that another person of the same education and locale would generally provide under the same circumstances
Plaintfiff
The one accusing another of criminal or civil law violation
Statue
A written law
Tort
A violation of a civil law; involves a wrong against an individual or their property
Constitutional Law
Is in place to protect our constitutional rights (Bill of Rights)
Statutory Laws
May be federal, state, or local laws and are sometimes called statutes.
Examples: Nurse Practice Acts (NPAs) that are passed by each state.
Case or Judicial Law
Written in response to specific legal questions brought before the courts. After the question is decided by the courts, it is used as a precedent to judge similar cases in the future.
Precedent
The standard that other cases refer to in the future
Criminal Laws
Protect the public or society as a whole.
Civil Laws
Protect an individual’s personal rights, which include most health-care issues.
HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
When was HIPAA enacted?
1996
CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Types of Abuse
Physical
Sexual
Emotional
Neglect
Domestic/Partner
Signs of Physical Abuse
-Bruises
-Burns
-Fractures that are unexplained or do not match given explanation
-Long-sleeve clothes worn to cover injuries during hot weather
Signs of Sexual Abuse
- Inappropriate sexual behavior and knowledge for child’s age
- STI or pregnancy under age of 14
- Child behaving sexually towards other children
- Pain for child in sitting or walking
Emotional Abuse Signs
- Being withdrawn
- Being Fearful
- Vague pains, stomachaches, headaches with no medical basis
- Avoiding social situations such as going to school
- Delayed emotional development
Signs of Neglect
- Poor hygiene
- Lack of appropriate clothing
- Clothes that do not fit
- Hoarding food
- Excessive hunger
- Poor attendance at school
- Unsupervised play or play in unsafe environments
Signs of Domestic Abuse or Partner Abuse
- Unexplained injuries
- Injuries that do not match the explanation given
- Being fearful or withdrawn
- Trying to make peace with or make excuses for partners behaviors
- Being embarrassed or belittled by partner in front of others
- Being verbally abused
- Being controlled by partner
- Having a partner who denies abuse, acts like abuse is no big deal, or states abuse is victims fault (gaslighting)
- Having a partner who threatens suicide
- Having a partner who threatens to kill the victim
False Imprisonment
Intentionally prevention a patient from leaving a facility or restricting a patient’s movement within the facility
AMA
Against Medical Advice
Restraints
Only can be used if the patient presents a clear danger to either self or others and other methods of protection the patient from injury have already been attempted
Sexual Harassment
Harassment that includes unwelcome sexual advances, comments of a sexual nature, or offensive remarks about a person’s sex.
Harassment
Continued unwanted or annoying actions
Examples of sexual harassment:
- touching or rubbing against another person
- physically standing in another’s personal space
- telling or playing jokes on another that are sexual in nature or carry a sexual innuendo
- Engaging in personal conversations regarding reproductive organs or sexual activity that can be overheard by someone who is offended by the context
- Having wandering eyes or facial expressions that make the recipient uncomfortable
- Stalking
Good Samaritan Law
Provides legal protection to the voluntary caregiver at sites of accidents and emergencies
What are the most common reasons for lawsuits against LPNs?
- Medication related errors
- Treatment and care-related errors
- Patient abuse-related errors
Medication Related Errors
These include administering medications by the wrong route, to the wrong patient, at the wrong time, administering medications that should not have been given, or failing to administer medications at all.
Treatment and care-related errors
These include failing to provide care, giving incorrect care, misinterpreting order for treatments, or ignoring the need for care.
Patient abuse-related errors
These include depriving patients of their rights, abusing patients physically, verbally, sexually, or emotionally, or simply ignoring patient’s needs.
What are less common reasons for lawsuits against LPNs?
- Conduct-related errors
- Assessment-related errors
- Scope of practice-related errors
- Documentation-related errors
Conduct-related Errors
These include:
unprofessional behaviors with patients or patients’ families, diversion of patient medications, or inappropriate behavior in the workplace
Assessment-related Errors
These include:
Failing to do a complete assessment, thereby missing injuries or illness, or failing to report your assessment findings to the provider for further treatment and care
Scope of practice-related Errors
These include:There are most often the result of an LPN acting outside their scope of practice and performing tasks that the LPN was not educated to perform
Documentation-related Errors
These include:
Documenting on the wrong chart, documenting opinions instead of facts, and most often, failing to document what occurred and the care that was given.
Informed Consent
A voluntary agreement made by a well-advised, mentally competent patient to be treated by a provider or institution.
Incident Report
To be completed in the event of an unusual occurrence or an accident.
Standards of Care
These are statements of actions that are consistent with minimum safe professional conduct under specific conditions
What are the five rights of delegation that were established in 1997?
The right task
The right circumstances
The right person (the delegatee has the knowledge and skills to perform the task)
The right directions and communication
Under the right supervision and evaluation
What are ways you can continue to be a lifelong learner as a nurse?
Subscribing to and reading nursing journals
Attending educational seminars/workshops
Researching nursing topics and health-related issues in both current textbooks and professional websites
Taking continuing education courses in professional journals or online
