Fundamentals of Nursing Q 24



Nurses are bound by a variety of laws. Which description of a type of law is correct?
  
     A. Statutory law is created by an elected legislature, such as the state legislature that defines the Nurse Practice Act (NPA).
     B. Regulatory law includes prevention of harm for the public and punishment for those laws that are broken.
     C. Common law protects the rights of the individual within society for fair and equal treatment.
     D. Criminal law creates boards that pass rules and regulations to control society.
    
    

Correct Answer: A. Statutory law is created by an elected legislature, such as the state legislature that defines the Nurse Practice Act (NPA).

Statutory law is created by the legislature. It creates statutes such as the NPA, which defines the role of the nurse and expectations of the performance of one’s duties and explains what is contraindicated as guidelines for breach of those regulations.

Option B: Federal and state regulations influence everything from the air we breathe to the fine print on credit card agreements. Regulatory law involves creating and/or managing the rules and regulations created by federal and state agencies.
Option C: Common law is a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts. Common law influences the decision-making process in unusual cases where the outcome cannot be determined based on existing statutes or written rules of law.
Option D: Criminal law, as distinguished from civil law, is a system of laws concerned with the punishment of individuals who commit crimes. Thus, wherein a civil case of two individuals dispute their rights, a criminal prosecution involves the government deciding whether to punish an individual for either an act or an omission.