Texas Board of Nursing (BON) Practice Exam

When a nurse steals valuables (such as medications, money, jewelry, or credit cards) from a patient, this may be considered criminal as well as unprofessional conduct involving

1. Violation of patient privacy

2. Assault and battery

3. Malpractice

4. Theft of property

The correct answer is: Theft of property

Stealing valuables from a patient is considered theft, which is a criminal act and also goes against the nursing code of ethics. This action would not fall under the category of patient privacy (A), as it is not related to protecting the confidentiality of the patient's personal information. It also would not be considered assault and battery (B), as this refers to physical harm being inflicted on a person without their consent. The act of stealing from a patient would not fall under malpractice (C), as this refers to negligence or improper treatment by a medical professional, rather than intentional criminal behavior. Therefore, D is the correct answer as it accurately describes the situation.