When child, elder, or vulnerable adult abuse or neglect is disclosed, what is the nurse's responsibility?
Report the abuse according to facility policy.
Consider a referral to social services.
Meet with the patient's family.
Contact the primary care provider.
The Correct Answer is A
A) Report the abuse according to facility policy: The nurse has a legal and ethical responsibility to report suspected or disclosed abuse or neglect immediately, following the facility's protocols and state laws. This ensures that appropriate action is taken to protect the vulnerable individual and provides necessary interventions.
B) Consider a referral to social services: While this may be part of the broader care plan, the immediate priority is to report the abuse. Social services can be involved after the initial reporting to ensure that the appropriate support systems are put in place for the individual.
C) Meet with the patient's family: Meeting with the family may be relevant in some cases, but it is not the nurse's primary responsibility upon disclosure of abuse. Involving family members can sometimes complicate situations, especially if they are involved in the abuse.
D) Contact the primary care provider: While informing the primary care provider may be necessary as part of ongoing care, the urgent responsibility is to report the abuse to the proper authorities. The healthcare provider can then be informed as part of the care coordination after the initial report is made.
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Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A) Re-assess in 15 minutes: While regular assessments are important in a neurological evaluation, if the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score is 15, indicating the patient is fully alert and oriented, there may not be an immediate need to re-assess so soon unless the patient's condition changes.
B) Ask the patient to open eyes on command: If the GCS score is already determined to be 15, this indicates that the patient is responsive and capable of opening their eyes spontaneously. Asking the patient to open their eyes is unnecessary in this context since the score already reflects full responsiveness.
C) Document the findings: Documenting the GCS score of 15 is crucial as it establishes a baseline for the patient’s neurological status. This documentation is essential for ongoing assessments and monitoring, providing a record of the patient’s condition at this moment.
D) Notify the physician: Notifying the physician is not required for a GCS score of 15, as this score indicates a normal level of consciousness. Communication with the physician would be warranted only if there were changes in the patient's condition or a lower GCS score observed.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A) Left extremity cool to touch, normal pitting edema, with femoral, posterior tibial, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2: While this option describes the left extremity and includes some relevant details, it inaccurately uses "normal pitting edema" without specifying the degree of edema clearly. Additionally, it lists the posterior tibial pulse instead of the popliteal, which is more appropriate given the anatomical location.
B) Left lower extremity cool to touch, +2 pitting edema, with femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis pulses palpable, +2: This documentation accurately describes the left lower extremity, specifies the degree of edema as "+2," and correctly identifies the relevant pulses as femoral, popliteal, and dorsalis pedis. This terminology is clear and concise, providing a comprehensive assessment of the vascular status.
C) Left lower leg cool to touch, +4 edema with femoral, posterial tibial, dorsalis and pedis pulses normal: This option incorrectly reports the degree of edema as "+4," which indicates severe swelling, not matching the original assessment of "mild edema." It also incorrectly lists the posterior tibial pulse, which should be popliteal.
D) Left lower leg normal cool temperature, slight swelling, femoral, posterior tibial and dorsalis pedis pulses normal: The term "normal cool temperature" is confusing and not standard terminology. Additionally, "slight swelling" lacks specificity regarding the degree of edema, which is important for a clinical assessment. Furthermore, it inaccurately refers to the posterior tibial pulse instead of the popliteal.