Question

The registered nurse (RN), who is supervising a group of nurses at a health clinic, overhears a nurse telling a patient, "If you do not stop shouting, I am going to give you an injection." The RN immediately intervenes and tells the nurse this action can lead to which accusation?

a. Delegation
b. Breach of confidentiality
c. Assault
d. Respondeat superior

Answer 1

The RN would inform the nurse that the threat of an injection for shouting could lead to an accusation of assault. Threatening a patient with medical procedures as a means of coercion is unethical and a legal concern related to healthcare practice.

Step-by-step explanation:

The registered nurse (RN) supervising nurses at a health clinic would immediately recognize that threatening a patient with an injection for shouting could lead to an accusation of assault. It is important to understand that in a healthcare setting, actions and communications must be professional and adhere to medical ethics. Threatening a patient with medical intervention as a form of coercion is unethical and can be legally construed as assault, as it implies a threat of harmful or offensive contact without the patient's consent. This kind of behavior breaches the trust that is fundamental in the nurse-patient relationship and can undermine patient safety.

In this context, the RN's role includes the direct supervision of nurses, focusing on providing appropriate care, which involves reviewing patient history, assessing and responding to patient needs, and ensuring sterile procedures. The clinical focus is always on the well-being and safety of the patient, and any deviation from this can have serious legal and ethical repercussions.