Table of Contents

Preface
Contributing Authors
Abbreviations

Part I: Legal Risks in Nursing Practice

Chapter 1: The Legal Environment—Part I
Chapter 2: The Legal Environment—Part II
Chapter 3: Regulation of Nursing Practice
Chapter 4: Nurses in Legal Action
Chapter 5: Standards of Care
Chapter 6: Defenses to Negligence or Malpractice
Chapter 7: Prevention of Malpractice—Part I
Chapter 8: Prevention of Malpractice—Part II
Chapter 9: Nurses as Witnesses
Chapter 10: Professional Liability Insurance
Chapter 11: Refusing an Assignment/Patient Abandonment
Chapter 12: Delegation to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel

Part I. Questions
Part I. Answers

Part II: Liability in Patient Care

Chapter 13: Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities
Chapter 14: Confidential Communication—Part I
Chapter 15: Confidential Communication—Part II
Chapter 16: Competency and Guardianship
Chapter 17: Informed Consent—Part I
Chapter 18: Informed Consent—Part II
Chapter 19: Refusal of Treatment
Chapter 20: Pain Control
Chapter 21: Patient Teaching and Health Counseling
Chapter 22: Medication Administration—Part I
Chapter 23: Medication Administration—Part II
Chapter 24: Client with AIDS and HIV Testing
Chapter 25: Abusive Situations
Chapter 26: Reproductive Services
Chapter 27: Handicapped or Critically Ill Newborns
Chapter 28: Restraints
Chapter 29: Emergency Psychiatric Admissions
Chapter 30: Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation
Chapter 31: Discharge Against Medical Advice

Part II. Questions
Part II. Answers

Part III: Documentation Issues

Chapter 32: The Health Care Record
Chapter 33: Computerized Records
Chapter 34: Interdependent Nursing Functions/Implementing Orders—Part I
Chapter 35: Interdependent Nursing Functions/Implementing Orders—Part II
Chapter 36: Incident Reports
Chapter 37: Forensic Issues

Part III. Questions
Part III. Answers

Part IV: Employment Issues

Chapter 38: Employer and Employee Rights—Part I
Chapter 39: Employer and Employee Rights—Part II
Chapter 40: Contracts
Chapter 41: Corporate Liability
Chapter 42: Employment Contracts and Unionization
Chapter 43: Employment Status Liability—Part I
Chapter 44: Employment Status Liability—Part II
Chapter 45: Staffing Issues and Floating
Chapter 46: Americans with Disabilities Act
Chapter 47: Employees with AIDS/HIV Infection and Needle Sticks
Chapter 48: Impaired Nurses
Chapter 49: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace—Part I
Chapter 50: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace—Part II
Chapter 51: Violence in the Workplace—Part I
Chapter 52: Violence in the Workplace—Part II
Chapter 53: Intentional Torts—Part I
Chapter 54: Intentional Torts—Part II

Part IV. Questions
Part IV. Answers

Part V: Ethics

Chapter 55: Ethical Decision-Making
Chapter 56: Reporting Illegal, Unethical, or Unsafe Conduct
Chapter 57: Maternal versus Fetal Rights—Part I
Chapter 58: Maternal versus Fetal Rights—Part II
Chapter 59: Futile Care
Chapter 60: Advance Directives
Chapter 61: Life-Ending Decisions/Termination of Life Support
Chapter 62: Assisted Suicide

Part V. Questions
Part V. Answers

References
Index