Includes bibliographical references and index.

COMTENTS:

The legal environment / Susan J. Westrick and Katherine Dempski -- Regulation of nursing practice / Susan J. Westrick -- Nurses in legal actions / Katherine Dempski -- Standards of care / Katherine Dempski -- Defenses to negligence or malpractice / Susan J. Westrick -- Prevention of malpractice / Katherine Dempski -- Nurses as witnesses / Susan J. Westrick -- Professional liability insurance / Susan J. Westrick -- Refusing an assignment / patient abandonment / Susan J. Westrick -- Delegation to unlicensed assistive personnel / Susan J. Westrick -- Review questions -- Answers -- Patients' rights and responsibilities / Katherine Dempski -- Confidential communication / Susan J. Westrick -- Competency and guardianship / Susan J. Westrick -- Informed consent / Katherine Dempski -- Refusal of treatment / Katherine Dempski -- Pain control / Katherine Dempski -- Patient teaching and health counseling / SusanJ. Westrick -- Medication administration / Susan J. Westrick -- Clients with AIDS and HIV testing / Katherine Dempski -- Abusive situations / Katherine Dempski -- Reproductive services / Katherine Dempski -- Restraints / Katherine Dempski -- Emergency psychiatric admissions / Katherine Dempski -- Organ and tissue donation and transplantation / Susan J. Westrick -- Discharge against medical advice / Katherine Dempski -- Review questions -- Answers -- The medical record / Katherine Dempski -- Electronic health information and communication / Susan J. Westrick -- Interdependent nursing functions : verbal orders and telenursing / Katherine Dempski -- Event reporting / Katherine Dempski -- Forensic issues / Susan J. Westrick -- Review questions -- Answers -- Employer and employee rights / SusanJ. Westrick -- Contracts / Susan J. Westrick -- Corporate liability / Susan J. Westrick -- Employment contracts and unionization / Susan J. Westrick -- Employment status liability / Susan J. Westrick -- Staffing issues and floating / Susan J. Westrick -- Americans with Disabilities Act / Katherine Dempski -- Employees with AIDS/HIV Infection and exposure to bloodborne pathogens / Katherine Dempski -- Impaired nurses / Susan J. Westrick -- sexual harassment in the workplace / Susan J. Westrick -- Violence in the workplace / Susan J. Westrick -- Intentional torts / Susan J. Westrick -- Review -- Questions -- Answers -- Ethical decision making / Susan J. Westrick -- Reporting illegal, unethical, or unsafe conduct / Susan J. Westrick -- Maternal versus fetal rights / Katherine Dempski -- Futility of care / Katherine Dempski -- Advance directives and end-of-life decisions / Katherine Dempski -- Assisted Suicide / Katherine Dempski -- Review questions -- Answers -- Appendix : basic legal research / Susan J. Clerc.