Ethical and Legal Issues Mental Health Nursing Exam
Practice Questions with 100% Correct Answers A+ Graded
Which of the following statements are correct regarding the use of restraints?
a. Restraints must never be initiated without a doctor's orders
b. Orders for restraints must be reissued by a prescribing practitioner q2hr for children and adolescents
c. Clients in restraints must be observed and assessed every hour for issues of circulation, nutrition,
respiration, hydration and elimination
d. A face to face evaluation must be conducted within one our of initiating restraints by the prescribing
practitioner - Answer B; D
A competent, voluntary patient says he wants to leave the hospital. The nurse hides his clothes in an
effort to keep him from leaving. With which of the following legal actions may the nurse be charged
because of this nursing action
a. Assault
b. Battery
c. False Imprisonment
d. Breach of Confidentiality - Answer c. False Imprisonment
A nurse in an emergency mental health facility is caring for a group of clients. The nurse should identify
that which of the following clients requires a temporary emergency admission
a. A client who has schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur
b. A client who has manifestations of depression and attempted suicide a year ago
c. A client who has borderline personality disorder and assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod
d. A client who has bipolar disorder and paces around the room while talking to himself - Answer C : A
client who is a current danger to self or others is a candidate for temporary emergency admission
A nurse decides to put a client who has psychosis in seclusion overnight because the unit is very
short-staffed, and the client frequently fights with other clients. This is an example of which of the
following torts?
A. Invasion of privacy
B. False imprisonment
, C. Assault
D. Battery - Answer B. False Imprisonment
A civil wrong that violates a client's civil rights is a tort. In this case it is false imprisonment, which is the
confining of a client to a specific area, such as a seclusion room, if the reason for confinement is for the
convenience of staff
A client tells the nurse "Don't tell anyone, but a hid a sharp knife under my mattress to protect myself
from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and threatening me" Which of the following actions
should the nurse take?
a. Keep the communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using therapeutic communication to
convince him to admit he's hiding the knife
b. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his roommate closely
c. Tell the client that this must be reported to the healthcare team because it concerns the health and
safety of the client and others
d. Report the incident to the healthcare team, but do not inform the client of the intention to do so -
Answer c. Tell the client that this must be reported to the healthcare team because it concerns the
health and safety of the client and others
~ Using the ethical principle of veracity the student tells the client truthfully what must be done about
the issue
A nurse is caring for a client in mechanical restraints. Which of the following statements should the
nurse include in the documentation?
a. "Client ate most of his breakfast"
b. "Client was offered 8oz of water every hour"
c. "Client shouted obscenities at assistive personnel"
d. "Client received chlorpromazine 15mg by mouth at 1000"
e. "Client acted out after lunch" - Answer B; C; D
~ How much water was offered and how often it was offered is objective data
~ A description of the client's verbal communication is objective data
~ The dosage and time of medication administration is objective data
A nurse hears a newly licensed nurse discussing a client's hallucinations in the hallway with another
Practice Questions with 100% Correct Answers A+ Graded
Which of the following statements are correct regarding the use of restraints?
a. Restraints must never be initiated without a doctor's orders
b. Orders for restraints must be reissued by a prescribing practitioner q2hr for children and adolescents
c. Clients in restraints must be observed and assessed every hour for issues of circulation, nutrition,
respiration, hydration and elimination
d. A face to face evaluation must be conducted within one our of initiating restraints by the prescribing
practitioner - Answer B; D
A competent, voluntary patient says he wants to leave the hospital. The nurse hides his clothes in an
effort to keep him from leaving. With which of the following legal actions may the nurse be charged
because of this nursing action
a. Assault
b. Battery
c. False Imprisonment
d. Breach of Confidentiality - Answer c. False Imprisonment
A nurse in an emergency mental health facility is caring for a group of clients. The nurse should identify
that which of the following clients requires a temporary emergency admission
a. A client who has schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur
b. A client who has manifestations of depression and attempted suicide a year ago
c. A client who has borderline personality disorder and assaulted a homeless man with a metal rod
d. A client who has bipolar disorder and paces around the room while talking to himself - Answer C : A
client who is a current danger to self or others is a candidate for temporary emergency admission
A nurse decides to put a client who has psychosis in seclusion overnight because the unit is very
short-staffed, and the client frequently fights with other clients. This is an example of which of the
following torts?
A. Invasion of privacy
B. False imprisonment
, C. Assault
D. Battery - Answer B. False Imprisonment
A civil wrong that violates a client's civil rights is a tort. In this case it is false imprisonment, which is the
confining of a client to a specific area, such as a seclusion room, if the reason for confinement is for the
convenience of staff
A client tells the nurse "Don't tell anyone, but a hid a sharp knife under my mattress to protect myself
from my roommate, who is always yelling at me and threatening me" Which of the following actions
should the nurse take?
a. Keep the communication confidential, but talk to the client daily, using therapeutic communication to
convince him to admit he's hiding the knife
b. Keep the client's communication confidential, but watch the client and his roommate closely
c. Tell the client that this must be reported to the healthcare team because it concerns the health and
safety of the client and others
d. Report the incident to the healthcare team, but do not inform the client of the intention to do so -
Answer c. Tell the client that this must be reported to the healthcare team because it concerns the
health and safety of the client and others
~ Using the ethical principle of veracity the student tells the client truthfully what must be done about
the issue
A nurse is caring for a client in mechanical restraints. Which of the following statements should the
nurse include in the documentation?
a. "Client ate most of his breakfast"
b. "Client was offered 8oz of water every hour"
c. "Client shouted obscenities at assistive personnel"
d. "Client received chlorpromazine 15mg by mouth at 1000"
e. "Client acted out after lunch" - Answer B; C; D
~ How much water was offered and how often it was offered is objective data
~ A description of the client's verbal communication is objective data
~ The dosage and time of medication administration is objective data
A nurse hears a newly licensed nurse discussing a client's hallucinations in the hallway with another
