Legal Principles in Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real CFN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal Principles in Nursing flashcards as text
A forensic nurse is asked by police to obtain a blood alcohol sample from an unconscious trauma patient without a warrant. The nurse should:
Answer: Decline and advise law enforcement to obtain proper legal authorization
Collecting forensic samples without proper legal authority or valid consent violates the patient's Fourth Amendment rights; a warrant or recognized exception is required.
What is the legal significance of 'res ipsa loquitur' in nursing negligence cases?
Answer: It allows negligence to be inferred when the injury would not normally occur without negligence
Res ipsa loquitur ('the thing speaks for itself') shifts the burden to the defendant when the injury is the type that ordinarily doesn't occur absent negligence.
A forensic nurse working in a correctional facility must balance patient confidentiality with institutional security needs. Which principle guides this balance?
Answer: Confidentiality applies except for legally mandated disclosures and imminent safety threats
Even in correctional settings, HIPAA protections apply, but exceptions exist for legally required disclosures and situations involving imminent safety threats.
Which of the following best describes 'scope of practice' for forensic nurses?
Answer: Defined by state nurse practice acts, professional standards, and credentialing
Scope of practice is governed by state nurse practice acts, professional organization standards, and relevant certifications such as the CFN credential.
A competent adult patient refuses to allow photographs of injuries during a forensic exam. The forensic nurse should:
Answer: Respect the refusal and document the patient's decision
A competent adult's refusal must be respected; the nurse should document the refusal thoroughly and continue providing care the patient accepts.
In a custody dispute involving alleged child abuse, a forensic nurse's written report may be entered into evidence as:
Answer: A business record exception to hearsay, potentially admissible
Medical records created in the ordinary course of business qualify under the business records exception to hearsay and may be admitted into evidence.
Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), sexual assault survivors seeking forensic exams must be:
Answer: Offered a forensic exam regardless of whether they report to law enforcement
VAWA mandates that states receiving federal funding provide forensic exams to survivors at no cost, independent of whether the survivor reports to law enforcement.