NUR 304 Quiz 3 Sharon
- Criminal law
-Regulates actions having to do with the safety of the community as a whole (they are considered crimes against the community or a person) -Violations are considered crimes -Crimes are felonies or misdemeanors -Criminal acts are prosecuted in criminal court
- Civil law
-Encompasses those laws regulating private conduct between individuals -Violations are considered torts -Civil acts are prosecuted in civil court
- Policies
-Provide guidance in proper actions to be taken in specific situations (so that you are not violating anything) -Identify individuals responsible for taking action -Set standards of practice -It is a good idea to keep a copy of the hospital policies with you so that you know what to do if you get stuck in a situation -You also always want to know who you have to go to in case you have a problem -If you work on weekends or nights, your manager is not there. Usually there is a house supervisor there for the entire hospital, so you may not get them right away.-This is why it is always important to know what your recourse is in your hospital & who the risk management department is
b/c you can go to them if you have a question about something as well. 1 / 3
- Protocols
-List actions for managing a specific problem that may involve more than one procedure -If you follow the protocols you are fine, but if you break the protocol in your work setting you can be in trouble
- Criminal Law and Nursing
How can you be committed of a crime (felony or misdemeanor)?
1.) Performance outside the nurse practice act Example A nurse performing a surgical procedure
2.) Administering medication without an order
-Example
Dr. comes in & tells you "Give the patient Ativan right now" & you give the medication, but there's no order & then the patient has a reaction, or they didn't want the medication, or the family didn't want the medication, you are in just as much trouble as the Dr.
-In this case, you have to wait for the order before administering the medication; & even with the order, if the patient tells you they don't want the medication, you can't give it to them
3.) Inappropriate care and distribution of controlled substances (Whether the nurse is abusing narcotics or selling it)
-Example
You have a friend who is a nurse who asks you for Percocet b/c she is in a lot of pain, but she can't take her pill b/c she left it @ home. You can't give Percocet to anyone for any reason without their own prescription. 2 / 3
-You can't take any medicine out of the Pyxis for any reason. This includes Tylenol
4.) Committing crimes while in the role of caregiver
-Example
this applies more to community health care nurses. If you were on your way to a patient's house, & you stopped somewhere & shop lifted @ a store, you can lose your license for that b/c you are on your way to a patient's house & you are in the role of a community health nurse
5.) Criminal negligence 6.) Felonies
-Example
with any type of felony, you will lose your license. Sometimes after they review the charges, you may get your license back, but sometimes you don't (e.g.
you can lose your Nursing license if you get a Felony DUI)
- Negligence
-This could be both a criminal and/or civil suit (either category)
-Definition
The act of doing something or refraining from doing something that any other reasonable medical professional would do or refrain from doing in a similar situation
-Example
Your patient goes into cardiac arrest & you sit there filing your nails or you go on your lunch break thinking that the next nurse will get it.That is considered negligence
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