Legal & Ethical Responsibilities in Forensic Nursing Flashcards
7 cards from real CFN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Legal & Ethical Responsibilities in Forensic Nursing flashcards as text
A forensic nurse receives a call from a journalist investigating a high-profile assault case asking for patient details. The nurse should:
Answer: Decline to confirm or deny patient information and refer to the facility's media spokesperson
HIPAA prohibits disclosing any patient information to media; all inquiries should be directed to designated institutional spokespersons.
Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), sexual assault victims are entitled to:
Answer: A forensic examination regardless of whether they report to law enforcement
VAWA ensures that sexual assault victims can receive forensic medical examinations without requiring a police report as a condition.
A forensic nurse is treating a patient who is also a crime suspect. The nurse's primary obligation is to:
Answer: Provide the same standard of care owed to any patient, maintaining professional boundaries
All patients, including crime suspects, are entitled to the same professional standard of nursing care regardless of their legal status.
Which document formally authorizes a forensic nurse to collect biological samples from a patient for evidentiary purposes?
Answer: Written informed consent from the patient or legal guardian
Written informed consent is required before collecting biological evidence, as it authorizes an invasive procedure with legal implications.
A forensic nurse is testifying as a fact witness rather than an expert witness. This means she may testify about:
Answer: Only what she personally observed, documented, and did during care
A fact witness is limited to direct personal observations and actions, unlike an expert witness who may offer opinions.
Photographing injuries of a forensic patient without documented consent violates which patient right?
Answer: The right to privacy and informed consent
Photographing a patient without consent violates their right to privacy and the foundational requirement for informed consent before procedures.
When a forensic nurse identifies signs of elder abuse in a nursing home patient, mandatory reporting obligations require notification to:
Answer: Adult protective services and, depending on state law, law enforcement
Elder abuse mandates reporting to Adult Protective Services and often law enforcement, as defined by each state's mandatory reporting statute.