Legal & Ethical Issues in Nursing Exam Questions with
Verified Answers 100% Passing Score Guarantee
Name the 2 Major focuses for nurses regarding Legal implications. - Answer 1. Protect your clients' rights
2. Protect yourself from legal liability
What are the 5 ways to protect yourself legally when you are a nurse - Answer 1. Understand the state's
laws impacting nursing practice.
2. Follow the rules and regulations in your stat's nurse practice act.
3. Deliver safe, competent nursing care.
4. Develop and use critical thinking skills.
5. Education.
Law is: - Answer Rule of conduct enforced by the government.
Criminal Law - Answer protects society as a whole from certain crimes (e.g. theft)
Regulatory Law - Answer State/Federal administrative agencies, like the State Board of Nursing, sets
legal rules and regulations (e.g. Nurse Practice Act)
Civil Law - Answer protects rights of individuals in society ensuring fair and equal treatment. (e.g. voting
rights, malpractice, negligence)
Professional and Legal Regulation of Nursing Practice - Answer RN Credentialing
-Licensure
*Need license to practice nursing
*Specific education requirements and NCLEX Exam
*License may be revoked w/ due process
-Certification
*State and national certification programs
, -Specialty or advanced practice practioner
California Nurse Practice Act - Answer *Defines the "Standards of Care"
-Details state specific regulations
-Defines scope of nursing practice (what you can and cannot do as a nurse)
-Defines medical vs nursing care (e.g. giving a medications without order)
-Sets education and licensure requirements
Standards of Care - Answer Legal requirements for the minimum acceptable nursing care
Nurse scope of practice - Answer What you can and cannot do as a nurse
Crime - Answer doing something wrong against person or property (misdemeanor or felony)
Tort - Answer CIVIL wrong doing against person or property
Intentional Tort Examples (6) - Answer Assault, battery, defamation of character, fraud, invasion of
privacy, false imprisonment
Assault - Answer threat to touch w/o consent
Battery - Answer Carrying out threat
Defamation of Character
-Slander
-Libel - Answer harming ones character by
-Slander: oral or spoken
-Libel: written
Verified Answers 100% Passing Score Guarantee
Name the 2 Major focuses for nurses regarding Legal implications. - Answer 1. Protect your clients' rights
2. Protect yourself from legal liability
What are the 5 ways to protect yourself legally when you are a nurse - Answer 1. Understand the state's
laws impacting nursing practice.
2. Follow the rules and regulations in your stat's nurse practice act.
3. Deliver safe, competent nursing care.
4. Develop and use critical thinking skills.
5. Education.
Law is: - Answer Rule of conduct enforced by the government.
Criminal Law - Answer protects society as a whole from certain crimes (e.g. theft)
Regulatory Law - Answer State/Federal administrative agencies, like the State Board of Nursing, sets
legal rules and regulations (e.g. Nurse Practice Act)
Civil Law - Answer protects rights of individuals in society ensuring fair and equal treatment. (e.g. voting
rights, malpractice, negligence)
Professional and Legal Regulation of Nursing Practice - Answer RN Credentialing
-Licensure
*Need license to practice nursing
*Specific education requirements and NCLEX Exam
*License may be revoked w/ due process
-Certification
*State and national certification programs
, -Specialty or advanced practice practioner
California Nurse Practice Act - Answer *Defines the "Standards of Care"
-Details state specific regulations
-Defines scope of nursing practice (what you can and cannot do as a nurse)
-Defines medical vs nursing care (e.g. giving a medications without order)
-Sets education and licensure requirements
Standards of Care - Answer Legal requirements for the minimum acceptable nursing care
Nurse scope of practice - Answer What you can and cannot do as a nurse
Crime - Answer doing something wrong against person or property (misdemeanor or felony)
Tort - Answer CIVIL wrong doing against person or property
Intentional Tort Examples (6) - Answer Assault, battery, defamation of character, fraud, invasion of
privacy, false imprisonment
Assault - Answer threat to touch w/o consent
Battery - Answer Carrying out threat
Defamation of Character
-Slander
-Libel - Answer harming ones character by
-Slander: oral or spoken
-Libel: written
