Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics for Texas Nurses Practice Exam

A nurse quits his job and submits a written notice at the end of his shift, telling his supervisor that he will not be back at work the following morning. The supervisor tells the nurse he has to complete the entire month's schedule or he will be committing "patient abandonment," and will be reported to the BON. This is:

1. false. Quitting a job at the end of a shift is not considered "patient abandonment" by the BON and is not grounds for reporting to, or action by, the BON.

2. false. The nurse only has to work for two more weeks of the schedule before he can quit.

3. true. It would be "patient abandonment" if the nurse does not complete the current schedule. The nurse could be reported to the BON.

4. true. The nurse must work the entire currently posted work schedule before he can quit his present job.

The correct answer is: false. Quitting a job at the end of a shift is not considered "patient abandonment" by the BON and is not grounds for reporting to, or action by, the BON.

The correct answer indicates that quitting a job at the end of a shift does not constitute "patient abandonment" according to the Board of Nursing (BON) guidelines. Patient abandonment occurs when a nurse leaves a patient without proper transition of care, especially in situations where the nurse still has a duty to care for the patient. By formally resigning and providing a written notice at the end of the shift, the nurse has fulfilled his professional obligation to inform his employer of his intent to leave, thereby protecting himself from allegations of abandonment. The BON does not impose a requirement that a nurse must work an entire month's schedule after giving notice unless a specific employment contract or policy states otherwise. This means that the statement about being reported for "patient abandonment" due to not completing the schedule is unfounded. In essence, as long as patient care is appropriately transferred and there are no immediate duties remaining, a nurse can leave their position safely without being guilty of patient abandonment.