A Nurse Is Concerned That an Agency's Policies Are Inadequate

question 14

Multiple Choice

A nurse is concerned that an agency's policies are inadequate. Which understanding about the relationship between substandard institutional policies and individual nursing practice should guide nursing practice?

• A) Agency policies do not exempt an individual nurse of responsibility to practice according to professional standards of nursing care.
• B) Agency policies are the legal standard by which a professional nurse must act and therefore override other standards of care.
• C) Faced with substandard policies, a nurse has a responsibility to inform the supervisor and discontinue patient care immediately.
• D) Interpretation of policies by the judicial system is rendered on an individual basis and therefore cannot be predicted.