A traveling nurse is taking a temporary assignment out of state. Which of the following information should the nurse identify is the purpose of the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC)?

A. Negligence occurs when a person fails to perform their duties to the standard expected of a reasonable professional, leading to harm or potential harm. In this scenario, leaving a shift early without permission could be considered a breach of professional duty. Although the clients are stable, the action of leaving early without proper handoff could potentially create risks or gaps in care.
B. Battery involves the intentional and unauthorized physical contact with another person that causes harm or offense. This legal tort does not apply to the situation described because leaving a shift early does not involve physical contact or harm to the clients. Battery is more related to physical acts rather than administrative or procedural issues.
C. Libel refers to defamation through written statements that harm a person's reputation. This tort does not apply to the situation of leaving a shift early. Libel is concerned with false statements published in writing that damage someone's reputation, which is unrelated to the issue of leaving a shift early without notification.
D. Slander involves verbal defamation that harms a person's reputation. Like libel, slander is concerned with damaging someone’s reputation through spoken false statements. The scenario of leaving a shift early does not involve verbal defamation or reputational harm, so slander is not applicable here.

A. Monitoring blood glucose is crucial for managing diabetes, as it directly affects the child's blood sugar levels and overall well-being. However, if the child’s blood glucose levels are stable and there are no immediate concerns or symptoms, this task, while important, may not be as urgent as assessing more critically ill clients.
B. While discharge instructions are important for ensuring proper care after leaving the hospital, this task generally does not require immediate attention compared to assessing a client with more acute or urgent needs. The adolescent is ready for discharge, indicating their condition is stable enough to prepare for leaving the unit.
C. Feeding a toddler who has both arms in casts is important for ensuring that the child is well-nourished and comfortable. However, this task can usually be managed by assistive personnel or done at a scheduled time without immediate urgency compared to more critical assessments.
D. An infant with pertussis (whooping cough) receiving oxygen via nasal cannula is in a potentially critical situation. Pertussis can cause significant respiratory distress, and the need for oxygen indicates the
infant’s respiratory function is compromised. Assessing this infant first is crucial to ensure that the oxygen therapy is effective and to monitor for any signs of deterioration in respiratory status.