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Question

Difficulty: MediumLegal Rights and Responsibilities

An unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) assists a 78-year-old client with a bed bath and notifies the registered nurse (RN) about multiple fading bruises on the client's torso. Upon further assessment by the RN, the client tearfully states, 'My daughter gets so frustrated with me and sometimes she hits me.' Which action is the legal priority for the registered nurse?

  1. Notify the state adult protective services agency regarding the suspected abuse.Answer
  2. B
    Document the bruises in the medical record and wait to interview the daughter to verify the claim.
  3. C
    Instruct the UAP to carefully observe and evaluate the interactions between the client and the daughter.
  4. D
    Tell the client, 'You are safe in the hospital, and I am sure your daughter did not mean to hurt you.'

Answer

The registered nurse must immediately notify adult protective services or the appropriate state authority about the suspected elder abuse.
Registered nurses are legally mandated reporters of suspected abuse for vulnerable populations, including older adults. When a client presents with physical signs of injury and verbally discloses abuse, the nurse has a strict legal obligation to report these findings to the designated state authority (such as Adult Protective Services) immediately. The nurse does not need absolute proof to make a report, only a reasonable suspicion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the client's physical condition and statements following the UAP's report.
Identified physical evidence (fading bruises) and received a direct verbal disclosure of physical abuse by a family member.
To gather baseline clinical data regarding the client's safety and well-being.
2
Identify the legal obligations associated with the clinical findings.
Recognized the situation as suspected elder abuse.
Registered nurses are legally designated as mandatory reporters for suspected child, elder, and vulnerable adult abuse.
3
Take the legally mandated action.
Reported the suspected abuse to the appropriate protective services agency.
Failing to report suspected abuse is a violation of state law and professional nursing standards.

Key Concept

Mandatory Reporting of Elder Abuse
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Topics

Legal Rights and Responsibilities

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