Surg 102--Chapter 4 (Fuller)

Question 1

abandonment

Answer 1

A health professional’s failure to provide care to a patient, especially when there is an implied contract to do so.

Question 3

administrative law

Answer 3

A law created by an agency or a department of the government.

Question 3

advance directive

Answer 3

A document in which a person gives instructions about his or her medical care in the event that the individual canno speak for himself.

Question 5

cognitive impairment

Answer 5

A physiological condition in which a person is unable to carry out normal cognitive tasks, such as rational decision making.

Question 5

common law

Answer 5

Binding decisions made by a court judge and based on the precedent of a similar case.

Question 7

Constitutional law

Answer 7

The supreme law of the nation in the United States.

Question 8

court trial

Answer 8

A trial in which a judge determines the factual evidence and makes the final judgment.

Question 8

damages

Answer 8

Money awarded in a civil lawsuit to compensate the injured party.

Question 10

defamation

Answer 10

A derogatory statement concerning another person’s skill, character, or reputation.

Question 10

delegation

Answer 10

The assignment of one’s duties to another person.

Question 12

deposition

Answer 12

The testimony of a witness given under oath and transcribed by a court reporter during the pretrial phase of a civil lawsuit.

Question 13

dilemma

Answer 13

A situation or personal conflict which arises from a need to make a decision and none of the choices are acceptable.

Question 13

ethical delimma

Answer 13

Situations in which ethical choices involve conflicting values.

Question 15

ethics

Answer 15

Standards of behavior that are accepted within groups.

Question 15

hospital policy

Answer 15

A set of rules or regulations that hospital employees are required to follow. They are created to protect patients and employees from harm and to ensure smooth operation of the hospital.

Question 17

incident report

Answer 17

A written description of any event that caused harm or presented the risk of harm to a patient or staff in the course of normal health care.

Question 18

informed consent

Answer 18

A process and a legal document that states the patient’s surgical procedure and the risks, consequences, and benefits of that procedure. Must be signed by the patient, or rep, before surgery can proceed.

Question 18

insurance

Answer 18

A contract in which the insurance company agrees to defend the policy holder if that individual is sued for acts covered by the policy and to pay any damages up to the policy limit.

Question 20

jury trial

Answer 20

A trial in which a case is presented to a selected jury, and the facts and final judgment are determined by the jury.

Question 20

laws

Answer 20

Standards that apply to all people in a given society.

Question 22

liable

Answer 22

Legally responsible and accountable.

Question 23

libel

Answer 23

Defamation in writing.

Question 23

living will

Answer 23

A legal document that states what the patient’s wish to refuse or limit care if the patient becomes incompetent.

Question 25

malpractice

Answer 25

Negligence commited by a professional. Also may be committed if a person deliberately acts outside of his scope of practice or while impaired.

Question 25

medical ethics

Answer 25

A branch of ethics concerned with the practice of medicine.

Question 27

medical power of attorney

Answer 27

A legal document signed by a person who is giving another individual the power to make health care decisions for the first person if he becomes incompetent, unconscience, or unable to make decisions for himself.

Question 27

medical practice act

Answer 27

State laws that define the practice of medicine.

Question 29

negligence

Answer 29

Can occur two ways: can be a failure to do something that a reasonable person, guided by the ordinary considerations that regulate human affairs, would do; or, it can be the act of doing something that a reasonable and prudent person would not do.

Question 29

nurse practice acts

Answer 29

State laws that define the practice of nursing.

Question 31

operative report

Answer 31

A patient record of the surgery, which is maintained and submitted by the attending circulating nurse.

Question 31

perjury

Answer 31

The crimeof intentionally lying or falsifying information during court testimony after a person has sworn to tell the truth.

Question 33

professional ethics

Answer 33

Ethical behavior established by authoritative peers of a particular profession.

Question 33

professional license

Answer 33

Governmental permission to perform specified actions.

Question 35

punitive

Answer 35

Actions intended to punish a person who has violated the law.

Question 35

retained object

Answer 35

An item that is inadvertently left inside the patient during surgery.

Question 37

Safe Medical Device Act

Answer 37

A federal regulation that requires the reporting of any incident causing death or injury that is suspected to be the result of a medical device.

Question 37

sentinel event

Answer 37

An unexpected incident resulting in serious physical injury, psychological harm, or death. The risk of injury or harm is also considered a sentinel event.

Question 39

sexual harassment

Answer 39

Sexual coercion, sexual innuendoes, or unwanted sexualcomments, gestures, or touch.

Question 39

slander

Answer 39

Spoken defamation.

Question 41

standard of conduct

Answer 41

A set of rules or guidelines an organization writes for its members. The rules pertain to how people behave and are based on the priciples that the organization values, such as honesty, professionalism, compassion, and integrity.

Question 41

statutes

Answer 41

Laws passed by legislative bodies.

Question 43

subpoena

Answer 43

A court order requiring its recipient to appear and testify at a trial or deposition. Medical records can also be the subject of subpoenas.

Question 43

summons

Answer 43

A court-issued document that is received by a person being sued, notifying the person that he is a defendant in the lawsuit.

Question 45

time out

Answer 45

A mandated procedure for ensuring that surgery is performed on the correct site and side. Time out is a pause before the start of surgery, before the incision is made, when all members of the team verify the correct side and site.

Question 45

tort

Answer 45

A wrong, independent of contract law violations, perpetrated by one person against another person or another person’s property. Any act of negligence or fraud compensable by money damages. Torts may be intentional or negligent in nature.