Legal and Ethical Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real LVN 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 and Ethical Practice flashcards as text
Which action constitutes battery in the nursing context?
Answer: Performing a procedure on a competent patient who explicitly refused it
Battery is the unauthorized, offensive touching of another person; performing a procedure on a patient who refused it meets this legal definition.
An LVN observes signs of physical abuse on an elderly patient admitted from a nursing home. The LVN is legally required to:
Answer: Report the suspected abuse to the supervisor and appropriate authorities
LVNs are mandated reporters; suspected elder abuse must be reported to the supervisor and the relevant protective services agency.
The term 'respondeat superior' in nursing law means:
Answer: Employers can be held liable for the negligent acts of their employees
Respondeat superior is the legal doctrine holding employers vicariously liable for employees' negligent acts performed within the scope of employment.
A patient with decision-making capacity asks the LVN to keep their HIV status secret from their spouse. The LVN should:
Answer: Maintain confidentiality and consult the supervisor about duty-to-warn obligations
Confidentiality must be respected, but the LVN should escalate the ethical tension around duty-to-warn to a supervisor or ethics committee for guidance.
Which of the following best defines 'negligence' in nursing practice?
Answer: Failure to meet the standard of care that a reasonably prudent nurse would provide
Negligence occurs when a nurse fails to act as a reasonably prudent nurse would under similar circumstances, resulting in patient harm.
An LVN is delegating tasks to a nursing assistant (CNA). Which task is within the CNA's scope and safe to delegate?
Answer: Assisting a stable patient with ambulation
Assisting a stable patient with ambulation is within a CNA's scope; medication administration, assessment, and catheter insertion require nursing licensure.
A patient's family member demands to see the patient's chart without the patient's consent. The LVN should:
Answer: Deny access and explain that only the patient or authorized representative may authorize release
HIPAA protects patient privacy; family members have no automatic right to records without the patient's explicit authorization.