Pediatric Nurse Professional and Legal Issues Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 10-year-old child with a new diagnosis of osteosarcoma is being considered for a clinical trial.
The parents have provided informed consent.
When the nurse explains the trial to the child in age-appropriate terms, the child states, 'I don't want to do it.
I'm too scared.' What is the nurse's primary legal and ethical responsibility in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Document the child's refusal and notify the healthcare provider and research team immediately.

Answer

Proceed with enrollment since the parents have already given legal consent.

Answer

Inform the parents that their consent is invalid without the child's agreement.

Answer

Ask the parents to convince the child to agree to participate in the trial.

Question 2

A pediatric nurse in the emergency department is caring for a 5-year-old child with a spiral femur fracture and multiple bruises in various stages of healing. The parent states the child fell off a slide. The nurse has a strong suspicion of child abuse. Which of the following is the nurse's priority action?

Accepted Answer

Report the suspected abuse to the appropriate child protective services agency.

Answer

Confront the parent with the suspicions to get a confession.

Answer

Wait for the physician to confirm the diagnosis of abuse before taking any action.

Answer

Document the injuries and parental explanation in the chart only.

Question 3

A 15-year-old female patient asks a clinic nurse for information about obtaining contraception. She explicitly asks that her parents not be informed. Which statement best guides the nurse's response?

Accepted Answer

The nurse must first determine the specific laws regarding minor consent and confidentiality in their state.

Answer

The nurse is legally required to inform the parents of any medical services provided.

Answer

The nurse can provide the information but must obtain parental consent before a prescription is written.

Answer

The nurse should refuse to discuss contraception without a parent present to avoid legal issues.

Question 4

A family who are Jehovah's Witnesses refuses a medically necessary blood transfusion for their 8-year-old child who has life-threatening anemia following a trauma. This situation creates a conflict primarily between which two ethical principles?

Accepted Answer

Parental Autonomy and Beneficence

Answer

Justice and Fidelity

Answer

Beneficence and Veracity

Answer

Confidentiality and Justice

Question 5

Which of the following tasks falls outside the generally accepted scope of practice for a registered nurse (RN) on a pediatric floor and is typically reserved for an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN)?

Accepted Answer

Formulating a medical diagnosis of asthma and prescribing an initial treatment plan.

Answer

Administering a prescribed PRN dose of intravenous morphine for post-operative pain.

Answer

Performing a comprehensive developmental screening using a standardized tool.

Answer

Providing education to a family about a new medication's side effects.

Question 6

When documenting in a pediatric patient's electronic health record (EHR), which principle is most critical for legal protection?

Accepted Answer

Documenting assessments, interventions, and patient responses factually and contemporaneously.

Answer

Charting only at the end of the shift to ensure a complete summary.

Answer

Using common abbreviations to save time and space.

Answer

Copying and pasting a previous note for a patient with a stable chronic condition.