Legal Practice and Scope Flashcards

An RPN documents a medication error in the patient's chart. What is the NEXT required action?

Answer: File an incident report per facility policy

Medication errors must be documented in the chart AND reported via an incident report per facility policy to ensure patient safety and quality improvement.

Which action by an RPN constitutes professional misconduct under nursing practice legislation?

Answer: Performing a skill outside the approved scope without delegation

Performing tasks outside the legislated or employer-approved scope without proper delegation constitutes professional misconduct.

A patient who is a Jehovah's Witness refuses a blood transfusion ordered by the physician. The RPN should:

Answer: Respect the refusal and document it, then notify the physician

Competent adult patients have the legal right to refuse treatment; the RPN must document the refusal and inform the physician.

Under mandatory reporting laws, an RPN is required to report suspected child abuse to:

Answer: The appropriate child protective services agency

Mandatory reporting laws require healthcare professionals, including RPNs, to report suspected child abuse directly to child protective services.

An RPN receives a verbal order from a physician by phone. The best practice is to:

Answer: Repeat the order back to verify, then document it and have the physician countersign within the required timeframe

Verbal orders require read-back verification for safety and must be countersigned by the physician within the facility's required timeframe.

Which statement best describes the legal concept of 'standard of care' as it applies to RPNs?

Answer: The level of care a reasonably competent RPN would provide in similar circumstances

Standard of care is measured against what a reasonably competent RPN with similar training would do under the same circumstances.

An RPN notices that a colleague has been charting vital signs without actually taking them. The RPN should FIRST:

Answer: Report the observation to the nurse manager or appropriate supervisor

The appropriate first step is to report the observation through the facility's internal chain of command (supervisor/manager) to protect patient safety.