Nursing Law: Negligence, Consent & Liability Quiz

1. Which documentation practice best protects a nurse from liability claims?

Thorough, accurate, timely documentation of all patient care and observations

Brief notes to save time

Documentation only when significant events occur

Correcting errors by using white-out or erasure

2. A nurse withholds pain medication from a patient who is opioid-dependent due to personal bias. This action could result in liability for:

Negligence and violation of patient rights

Preventing substance abuse

Following hospital cost-containment policy

Protecting the patient from addiction

3. What is the primary purpose of malpractice insurance for nurses?

To cover legal costs and damages if the nurse is sued for negligence

To guarantee the nurse will never be sued

To replace the need for proper documentation

To allow nurses to practice without following standards of care

4. A nurse follows a physician's order that violates standard nursing practice. Who bears primary liability?

Both the nurse and physician, as nurses have duty to question unsafe orders

Only the physician

Only the nurse

The hospital exclusively

5. Which action protects a nurse from liability in case of a medication error?

Immediately reporting the error, documenting it, and notifying the physician

Hoping the patient does not notice and will not be harmed

Telling only the nursing supervisor without documenting

Administering an antidote without reporting the original error

6. Standard of care in nursing is defined as:

What a reasonably prudent nurse with similar training would do in comparable circumstances

The minimum care required by hospital policy

Care provided by the most experienced nurse on staff

Care approved by the patient's insurance company

7. A nurse suspects elder abuse by a family member. What is the nurse's legal obligation?

Report the suspected abuse to appropriate authorities as required by law

Confront the family member about the suspicion

Keep the information confidential to protect family privacy

Document only and wait for the physician to report

8. Which situation represents a violation of patient autonomy and could result in liability?

Restraining a competent patient without consent or legal order

Providing privacy during care

Explaining treatment options to a patient

Documenting patient preferences in the chart

9. What is the statute of limitations in most states for filing a civil negligence lawsuit against a nurse?

Usually 2-4 years from discovery of injury

Only 6 months from the incident

Indefinitely with no time limit

Must be filed within 30 days

10. A patient falls from bed and is injured while a nurse is temporarily absent. Can the nurse be held liable?

Yes, if the patient had fall risk and appropriate precautions were not implemented

No, because falls are unavoidable in hospitals

Only if the nurse pushed the patient

Only if other nurses were present

11. Which of the following best defines negligence in nursing?

A nurse's failure to provide care that a reasonably prudent nurse would provide under similar circumstances

Any mistake a nurse makes while caring for a patient

Intentional harm caused by a nurse to a patient

Disagreement between nurse and patient about treatment goals

12. What is vicarious liability in nursing?

The employer's legal responsibility for employee negligence committed during employment

A nurse's personal responsibility for their own negligent acts

The patient's responsibility to follow medical advice

The physician's responsibility for all hospital staff actions

13. A nurse administers the wrong medication to a patient, causing harm. Which type of liability applies?

Criminal liability

Civil liability

Administrative liability

Vicarious liability

14. Which action by a nurse demonstrates a breach of confidentiality that could result in liability?

Discussing a patient's diagnosis with colleagues not directly involved in care

Documenting patient information in the medical record

Communicating relevant history to the care team during rounds

Reporting suspected abuse to appropriate authorities

15. A competent adult patient refuses a blood transfusion on religious grounds. The nurse documents this refusal. What is the nurse's primary legal responsibility?

Respect the patient's autonomy and follow the refusal

Convince the patient to change their mind

Notify the physician to override the patient's decision

Administer the transfusion if the patient becomes unconscious

16. When is it acceptable for a nurse to proceed with treatment without explicit informed consent?

In emergency situations when patient cannot provide consent and no surrogate is available

When the patient is confused or forgetful

When family members disagree with the patient's wishes

When the treatment is routine and commonly performed

17. Informed consent requires that a patient receive which information before treatment?

Nature of procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives

Only the risks involved

Only the benefits of treatment

Hospital policies and procedures

18. A nurse fails to monitor a post-operative patient's vital signs as ordered, and the patient suffers a stroke. Which element of negligence is demonstrated by this failure to monitor?

Breach of duty

Duty of care

Causation

Damages

19. What are the four elements required to prove nursing negligence?

Duty, breach, causation, damages

Intent, action, outcome, liability

Assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation

Documentation, communication, supervision, reporting

Nursing Law Quiz: Negligence, Consent or Liability?